Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible
Unlocking the Bible recently posted an excellent, short article about what the Bible says about how to use the Bible.
A few things on the list were no surprise: read it, believe it, preach it.
A few things surprised me, however: receive it, taste it, eat it.
Check it out!
Mike Riccardi recently posted a great article at The Cripplegate on the book of Philippians. He shows how studying theology and growing in virtue are inseparable.
Although Riccardi’s point is well-made, I commend his article to you more for his excellent model of Bible study. He identifies the main point of Philippians, and he traces out Paul’s flow of thought effortlessly.
The Book of Philippians is about the Gospel. It’s not quite an exposition of the doctrinal content of the Gospel, like Romans is. And it’s not quite a defense of the Gospel in the face of heresy, like Galatians is. Philippians is more about the implications the Gospel has on the various aspects of our lives as believers. It’s about how we are to live in light of the Gospel. The thesis verse of the letter is Philippians 1:27, in which Paul commands his dear friends to “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”
The Gospel Coalition recently published a guest post I wrote called “How to Win Your City.” It’s a study of Daniel 1, explaining how to live as strangers and exiles in our communities.
World-changers are a rare breed. But they don’t have to be. If displaced youths can revolutionize the kingdoms of the earth in God’s name, you and I can transform our communities with the gospel.
Consider the year 605 B.C., as the nation of Judah is losing power and significance. Babylon rules the world, with Nebuchadnezzar as king and general.
Then the unthinkable happens. Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem, and the city falls because God hands it over to him. Thus begins the book of Daniel: clarifying who truly controls the situation, thereby revealing Daniel’s secret confidence that inspires him in three key world-changing behaviors. Since he knows God rules all earthly kingdoms, he can settle down, start small, and win big.
Please check out the full article!
Can you trust the text? Is the Bible you hold in front of you a reliable copy of what was written so many centuries ago?
Michael Kruger at the Gospel Coalition says YES! Even though we don’t have the autographs (original manuscripts of Bible books), we still have very good reason to believe that the copies we have are reliable. He says that:
When it comes to the quantity of manuscripts, the New Testament is in a class all its own. Although the exact count is always changing, currently we possess more than 5,500 manuscripts of the New Testament in Greek alone. No other document of antiquity even comes close.
Kruger explains the difference between “autograph” and “original text.” His article introduces the topic of manuscript evidence clearly and concisely.
If you’re interested in understanding this important topic better, then check it out!
The Gospel Coalition recently published a new volume of its Themelios journal. Within there lies a fantastic article by Eric Ortlund about “The Pastoral Implications of Wise and Foolish Speech in the Book of Proverbs.”
Now don’t get discouraged by the long title. The article is great. It quotes a little Hebrew, but always translates it for you.
Here’s his point:
I would like to argue that, in the book of Proverbs, one cannot argue with a fool without making things worse. The wise person instead trusts the Lord to intervene by silencing and stopping foolish speech and vindicating those who trust him.
And from his conclusion:
We must scour our hearts, with the help of the Spirit, for foolish tendencies in ourselves. For instance, if I have something negative to say about another Christian, have I said it to anyone else? While there are a few situations in which one might have to do this (if one is asked, for example, to recommend another Christian for a ministry position), it is extremely easy to point out the faults of other Christians to third parties. This is foolish because Jesus, our wisdom and our great high priest, is interceding for all Christians, speaking the best of them before the Father. Why would we speak any differently? To give another example: in a disagreement, do I spin things in my favor? Do I believe all things and hope all things for the other Christian (1 Cor 13:7)? Or do I assume the worst about them?
Ortlund expands on ideas I’ve written about the three kinds of people in Proverbs, and he beautifully applies the teaching of Proverbs to this difficult area of criticism, attacks, and gossip.
I highly recommend you check it out!
We contend that the whole Bible is about Jesus. That’s why we should be able to see Jesus in any passage.
And we delight in showing you that we’re not the only ones who think this way.
To that end, we recommend you check out a post at The Gospel Coalition by Matt Smethurst. Smethurst recently interviewed professor Sidney Greidanus about his book Preaching Christ from Daniel.
Greidanus speaks helpfully about the main point of Daniel, the historical context, and the centrality of Christ.
Check it out!
I’m sure you’ve heard of Jeremiah 29:11 (“For I know the plans I have for you…”). Perhaps you’ve wielded it against some disappointed sufferer struggling to make sense of difficult decisions. Perhaps you’ve found hope from it yourself.
Thomas Turner, writing for Relevant Magazine, cogently warns us to “Stop Taking Jeremiah 29:11 Out of Context.” It’s a good reminder that context matters.
Yesterday, Bruce Baugus posted his story at the Gospel Coalition, and he tells of his journey answering the question: “How do I know the Bible is God’s Word?”
What’s his answer? Read it.
Check it out!
BibleMesh posted an article yesterday entitled, Can’t I just skip over the genealogies in the Bible? It’s a short read with some good examples of why you should read over those names with thankfulness and hope.
Check it out!
The elders of our church just finished a year-and-a-half-long sermon series through the book of Genesis, and I had the privilege of preaching the last sermon.
I titled this final sermon “Why Did We Preach Through Genesis?” and I gave 3 answers:
Have you doubted whether old books like Genesis are useful to us? Have you wondered what is the main point of Genesis? Would you like to understand better how Genesis teaches us about Jesus?
You might enjoy the sermon. Check it out!
