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The Impact of the Old Testament on Colossians

December 6, 2023 By Peter Krol

The writers of the New Testament were saturated in the text and worldview of the Old Testament. So instead of trying to figure things out for ourselves, we’re usually better served by picking up on not only the quotations but also the allusions to the Old Testament.

For example, in this article, G.K. Beale explains three OT allusions in the book of Colossians that are easy to miss.

Col 1:6, 10 – alluding to Gen 1:28
Col 1:9 – alluding to Ex 31:3, 35:31-32
Col 3:16 – alluding to the superscripts of Psalms 67 and 76

Beale doesn’t merely observe these allusions. He also explains how they illuminate Paul’s argument in Colossians.

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Jesus is the Son of God

December 4, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

All authors employ names and titles to convey meaning in their work. The biblical writers are no exception.

I’m nearing the end of a project examining the use of titles and names for Jesus in the Gospels. My first article laid out my methodology and looked at the top 10 titles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have written about the titles of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I will wrap up this project by looking closely at three titles of Jesus that were used frequently in the Gospels. I’ve written about Jesus being called “Christ,” and today we’ll examine what it means for Jesus to be called the “son of God.”

Not Only Meaning “Divine”

Both “son of God” and “son of Man” are common titles for Jesus in the Gospels. For Bible readers familiar with the doctrine of the dual nature of Jesus—that he is both human and divine—it may be easy to file “son of God” as a claim to his divinity and “son of Man” as a marker of his humanity. However, this divide is not as neat as we might guess.

In fact, both titles point to both natures of Jesus.

Old Testament Background

Luke 3:38 identifies Adam as a “son of God,” so even within the Gospels that term cannot only connote divinity. Beyond pure biology, theologians point to the use of “son” in the Bible as capturing (among other things) both resemblance and obedience. The nation of Israel is also referred to as God’s son (Exodus 4:22–23), and the way that Jesus is identified with Israel (see Matthew 2:13–15) contributes to the meaning residing in this title.

However, one of the most influential Old Testament passages behind the title “son of God” is 2 Samuel 7. Here is an important excerpt.

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. (2 Samuel 7:12–14a)

In this passage, God promised David a descendent to rule on his throne. Solomon cannot be the ultimate fulfillment of this promise, because God promises to “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (emphasis mine). From this we can see that “son of God” was connected to the kings of Israel.

So, we should not be surprised when we see Jesus referred to as the “son of God” in close proximity to claims or questions about a king over Israel. We read this when Nathanael erupted in praise, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49). These titles are also linked when Jesus is taunted during his crucifixion (Matthew 27:40–43).

Usage in the Gospels

What we find in the Gospels is that “son of God” is used both with the Old Testament background in view—which has a decidedly human element—and to indicate that Jesus is divine, begotten of the Father. In other words, “son of God” can mean, depending on the context, either that Jesus is the royal, human, chosen representative of God, or that he is the divine Son. (Of course, some uses by the Gospel authors may have both meanings in mind!)

The Gospel authors use the title “son of God” in fascinating ways. Mark opens his Gospel with this title (Mark 1:1) and John closes his with the same, where he states his purpose for writing (John 20:31). A large number of appearances of “son of God” are in the mouths of either demons, those demon-possessed, or the devil himself (Matt 4:3; 4:6; 8:29; Mark 3:11; 5:7; Luke 4:3; 4:9; 4:41; 8:28).

Many of the uses of this title are linked to the title “Christ” (Matt 16:16; 26:63; Mark 1:1; 14:61; Luke 4:41; John 11:27; 20:31). “Son of God” also appears to be a title that comes out in worship or confession (Matt 14:33; 16:16; 27:54; Mark 15:39; John 1:34; 1:49; 11:27). Finally, appropriate to the Christmas season we will soon enter, the angel Gabriel told Mary that her child would be the Son of God (Luke 1:32, 35).

Conclusion

Jesus’s title as the “son of God” is rich and complex. While it indicates Jesus’s divinity, it also marks him as the king who has come to reign. This is good for us to remember as we confess Jesus as the Son of God—he is the second person of the Trinity, but he is also the good and gracious king to whom we owe obedience and worship.

(Note: these were two helpful sources for me in preparing this article: source 1, source 2.)

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You Better Believe It

December 1, 2023 By Peter Krol

Do you ever wonder if it’s worth it to keep going?

Let’s say you’re driving at twilight, to a place you’ve never been. You’ve gotten most of the way there without a GPS, but you’re not so sure about the road you now travel. Is it worth it to keep going, or should you stop to get better directions?

Your college experience hasn’t resulted in the grades or the friendships you expected. And the exorbitant costs only increase. Is it worth it to keep going?

Your career—or perhaps your marriage—has plateaued, and you find yourself doing more of the same, day in and day out. Is it worth it to keep going?

When it comes to the Christian life: This question is a crucial one.

Following Jesus comes with not only great blessing but also quite a high cost. Life is hard, and you have to give up a lot of time and stuff. Is it worth it to keep going?

Over the next few weeks, I plan to do a deep dive into Hebrews 10:19-39. And the main idea of this passage is that ‌you better believe it’s worth it to keep going.

In order to keep going as a Christian, there are three things in particular that you’d better believe, because without these beliefs, you just might end up throwing everything away. You better believe you have a confident entrance (Heb 10:19-25). You better believe there will be certain vengeance (Heb 10:26-31). And you better believe you’ll need constant reliance (Heb 10:32-39).

Why don’t you take a look at the text for yourself in the coming week? See how much you can observe about the commands, the conclusions, and the train of thought. Write down any questions you have, and we’ll see what answers we can get from the text over the next few weeks.

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Situating Amos

November 29, 2023 By Peter Krol

The minor prophets can often seem distant and difficult. Yet God gave them to us for our growth in faith. So here is a wonderful overview of Amos by John Hartley to help you on your way.

What entrenched and multiplied transgressions brings the Lord to come against his own people? In a word, oppression. In more words, oppression of the poor by an unchecked appetite for luxury and leisure.

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How to Prevent a Spiritually Dry December

November 24, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

Stas Ovsky (2017), public domain

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be busy. Not only is the calendar full, but there’s a lot to do around the house. There are gifts to wrap, cards to send, and decorations to hang.

Busy days mean our schedules get squeezed. Work and school hours don’t change, so this means there’s a competition for our time at the margins. And, if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you know that devotional time is often a casualty in this battle.

I can fool myself into thinking the Christmas season will be richer with more decorations, more social gatherings, and watching more beloved Christmas movies. That the key to Christmas joy is more memories and experiences.

While there’s nothing wrong with any of these seasonal extras, here’s the truth I tend to miss. My experience of Christmas will be far deeper and more joyful if I’m connecting my activities to the Biblical truths of Christmas.

The Point of Bible Study

With that said, there is still the stark reality of time. I just seem to have less of it in December. Should I feel guilty that I’m not spending as much time with God during that month?

To answer this question we need to remember why we read the Bible—or why we engage in any of the spiritual disciplines. We don’t read the Bible to impress God. We don’t pray to feel spiritually healthy. We don’t fast to check a box.

No. Our spiritual practices must be rooted in God’s love for us and aimed at growing in love for him. Even as new creatures with the indwelling Holy Spirit, the old man still fights among our members, tearing our attention and our affections away from God. Our Bible study and prayer and giving—all of it—is designed to remind us of the truth and to help us live in harmony with it.

So, with regard to a busy December, we shouldn’t ask, How often must I read my Bible? Instead, we should ask, How can I enflame my affections for God around the Incarnation?

Focus on Bible Intake

Since the normal rhythms of life can be disrupted during busy seasons, don’t hold yourself to an impossible standard. Some days may allow your usual devotional time with God; other days may not. Instead of having the same goals for each day, I’d encourage you to focus on consistent Bible intake.

Bible intake refers to all the different ways we come into contact with the Bible. We can read it, study it, listen to it, memorize it, meditate on it, hear it preached, or sing it.

Here are some suggestions on how to maintain consistent Bible intake during a busy December.

Start a plan for Bible study or Bible reading for Advent.
Memorize part of the Bible related to the Christmas story. Some suggestions: John 1:1–18, Luke 2:1–21, Matthew 1:18–25.
Find a good Advent Bible reading guide and work through it as a family every morning or evening.
Pick ten favorite Christmas hymns. Sing one each night as a family and read the Bible text most relevant to the words of the hymn.
Listen to the Bible as you exercise or on your commute. Focus on the parts of the Bible that discuss the Incarnation.

Joy to the World

December may be busy, but it doesn’t have to leave you ragged and dry. With some planning and some shifts in your own expectations, you can draw near to God for Christmas as you celebrate the way he drew near to you.

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Foundational Beliefs about the Bible

November 22, 2023 By Peter Krol

What must you believe about the Bible in order to properly study the Bible? Joel Beeke and Michael Barrett suggest that we cannot avoid this question:

When we view the Scriptures through faith, we do so with a set of beliefs that we take for granted to be true. These presuppositions are essential and inevitable. It is absolutely impossible to come to the Bible with an open mind. Liberal scholars often claim they approach Scripture with an open mind in order to evaluate the Word of God and judge its accuracy. In reality they come with the presupposition that human reason is superior to divine revelation. That is not an open mind; it is a closed heart that evidences a mindset predisposed against God and truth. Man cannot stand as the judge of Scripture; Scripture stands as the judge of man. As believers, we must come with an open and receptive heart to receive and believe what God says.

And if we believe that God’s word is true, then we must also believe the things the Bible says about itself.

…every time we open the Scripture, we must do so with awe and reverence generated by the certain knowledge that the Bible is not an ordinary book but the very Word of the eternal God, whose veracity is beyond question or doubt. The Bible is not what men define it to be; it is what God declares it to be. Men can believe that or deny that, but they cannot alter that. The premise that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, infallible, sufficient, and effective Word of God should be the foundation for the study of Scripture. All truth has its source in God and, consequently, His truth is universal and timeless. Although times change, truth is changeless. Although applications of truth can vary, truth is constant. This is good reason to make the Bible a subject for study.

In their brief article, Beeke and Barrett explain what it means for the Bible to be inspired, authoritative, infallible, sufficient, and effective. I commend their reflections to you.

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Jesus Sanctifies His Brothers: Observations from Hebrews 2

November 20, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

Sometimes profound, biblical truths take hours to unearth. They are the result of long wrestling and deep exertion.

At other times, deep doctrine lies right on the surface. We can walk by and snatch it from the ground, like a ripe pear on a bed of orchard grass.

Observation is the foundation of any good Bible study method. We often think of interpretation as the Bible study phase which produces life-changing, paradigm-altering conclusions. But on occasion, we can spot gems in the first stage.

I’ve recently been studying the book of Hebrews with my small group. I was shocked how many statements of life-giving goodness jumped off the page as I was observing Hebrews 2 this week. In an effort to encourage our readers in their Bible study efforts, below I present 35 observations from Hebrews 2:10–18. I don’t claim these are the only observations one could make from these verses (they’re not!), nor even that these are the most important. But, since interpretation is built on observation, holding a passage under the microscope is a necessary first step to understanding.

Observing Hebrews 2

Here are some of the wonders I spotted in Hebrews 2:10–18.

God the Father is the one “for whom and by whom all things exist.” (Heb 2:10)
God the Father brings “many sons to glory.” (Heb 2:10)
Those God brings to glory are called “sons.” (Heb 2:10)
Jesus is the “founder” of the sons’ salvation. (Heb 2:10)
God the Father made Jesus perfect. (Heb 2:10)
God made Jesus perfect through suffering. (Heb 2:10)
This perfecting of Jesus was “fitting.” (Heb 2:10)
Jesus is the one who sanctifies the sons. (Heb 2:11)
The sons are sanctified. (Heb 2:11)
Jesus and the sons have one source. (Heb 2:11)
This common source is why Jesus is not ashamed to call the sons “brothers.” (Heb 2:11)
Jesus calls the sons “brothers.” (Heb 2:11)
Jesus shared in “flesh and blood.” (Heb 2:14)
Jesus shared in “flesh and blood” because the children do. (Heb 2:14)
The devil “has the power of death.” (Heb 2:14)
Jesus destroyed the one with the power of death. (Heb 2:14)
Jesus destroyed the one with the power of death through death. (Heb 2:14)
Through death Jesus delivered many. (Heb 2:15)
Those Jesus delivered were subject to slavery. (Heb 2:15)
This slavery was lifelong. (Heb 2:15)
This slavery happened through fear of death. (Heb 2:15)
Jesus does not help angels. (Heb 2:16)
Jesus helps the offspring of Abraham. (Heb 2:16)
Those Jesus delivered are again referred to as his “brothers.” (Heb 2:17)
Jesus was made like his brothers in every respect. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus became a high priest in the service of God. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus became a high priest who is merciful. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus became a high priest who is faithful. (Heb 2:17)
Being made like his brothers was necessary for becoming a high priest. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus’s work as a high priest involved making “propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb 2:17)
Jesus suffered when tempted. (Heb 2:18)
Jesus suffered. (Heb 2:18)
Jesus was tempted. (Heb 2:18)
Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb 2:18)
Because he suffered when tempted, Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb 2:18)

More Work To Do

Now, after observing the text there’s more work to do. We must ask and answer questions and work to determine the author’s main point.

But careful observation gets us going in the right direction.

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ESV Chronological Bible: A Fresh Way to Read

November 17, 2023 By Peter Krol

To study the Bible well, we must learn to read the Bible well. To read the Bible well, we need to develop good habits. And one such habit is to find ways to keep the text fresh. Beware the danger of growing so familiar with the Bible that you can no longer observe it accurately.

One way to foster a fresh approach to the text is to read the entire Bible in a different order. And one of the most useful ways to order the Biblical is by chronology. Crossway has done just that for us with their recent release of the ESV Chronological Bible.

Why a New Bible Instead of Just a Reading Plan?

Chronological reading plans have been circulating for many years now. For years, I’ve been recommending one for our annual Bible reading challenge.

The thing with a plan, though, is that you’ve got to constantly flip around in your Bible. That might go quicker if you read a digital Bible, but it still adds a significant amount of time to hop from passage to passage.

Now that I’ve gotten the ESV Chronological Bible in my grubby hands, I can sigh with delight at the ease of simply reading from one page to the next, with the chronological reading order served up like a 365-course meal.

How is the Plan?

This is not the first “chronological Bible” to appear under the sun. I’ve seen others (in other English translations) but have generally declined to purchase them for one major reason: They’re typically enslaved to chapter divisions. When I flip through a chronological Bible that refuses to break texts down any smaller than complete chapters, I quickly lose interest.

Where’s the fun in that? A single chapter of, say, a gospel could have 5 to 8 scenes in it, each of which is paralleled in different ways in other gospels. It’s difficult to get the truly chronological feel of the larger story when the parallel accounts are not actually parallel. For example, Matthew 8 portrays Jesus:

healing a leper
healing a paralytic
healing Peter’s mother-in-law
turning down would-be disciples
calming a storm
casting demons from men into a herd of pigs

In Mark’s ordering of these events, those events occur in the following chapters:

chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 1 (even before the leper)
not present
chapter 4
chapter 5

So if you’re only reading full chapters at a time, it is not possible to sync up these events in a useful way.

In contrast, the ESV Chronological Bible is no respecter of chapter divisions. At times, you get chunks as small as two verses. And at other times, you’re reading entire books with no interruption. For example, after beginning with Genesis 1-5, you get the first 4 verses of 1 Chronicles. But a little farther into the plan, you get the entire books of Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy without interruptions.

In short, I’m thrilled with the plan followed by the ESV Chronological Bible. It is not identical to the plan I’ve recommended on this site, but it follows a very similar philosophy.

With this chronological plan, you’ll read the prophets right after reading the historical events that led to their writing. Books like Jeremiah, that jump back and forth in time, are rearranged so you can grasp the order of events better. The gospels primarily follow the sequence of events as presented in Mark and John, with Matthew and Luke rearranged to fit. However, when an episode has parallel accounts, they’re always presented in canonical order (Matthew’s version first, then Mark’s, then Luke’s, then John’s). The latter half of Acts is interrupted by the epistles, according to the time they were written.

Two Things This Bible is Not Good For

There are a few things that people normally use a Bible for, that you should not expect to find here:

Extensive Bible study. This will not be your go-to Bible for digging in, deepening study, or marking up. Because the reading order is so jumbled up, this Bible is simply not designed for you to take to church or small group to follow along or participate in a discussion. The chronological format makes it quite difficult to even locate any given text. You have to go to the Scripture Index in the back, find the text you’d want to read, and then find the page it’s on.
Grasping the flow or arguments of books. Again, the text is all jumbled up. So you will not come away from this Bible with a better grasp of the main point or argument of Jeremiah or Luke. Likewise, you will get a great idea of the differences in gospel accounts of the feeding of the 5,000. But you’ll need another Bible to put those differences to use with respect to the larger arguments of each gospel.

Two Things This Bible is Exceptional For

Reference. If you are studying a passage in another Bible, you might call upon the Chronological Bible to figure out which other Bible passages speak to or at the same time as your text. For example, let’s say you’re studying a psalm. The Chronlogical Bible places that psalm near the historical narrative describing the same set of events. You could get good historical context for the prophets and epistles in a similar manner.
Reading. The main thing the Chronological Bible is designed for is for reading. That is the genius of this format. It gives you permission to read the Bible voraciously, and to simply keep reading. For that reason, I believe this Bible would be even better if it were presented like a reader’s Bible, without verse or chapter numbers (except perhaps in the margin). The single-column format, without section headings, encourages readers to drown themselves in the living and abiding word of God.

Additional Features

The entire Bible is organized (chronologically, of course) into 365 selections, each of which can be read in about 10 minutes. Before each selection there is a simple timeline to help you get your bearings in the chronology. There is also a brief paragraph summarizing the texts for that reading.

At the back of the Bible, there is a table of weights and measures, along with a chart explaining the Hebrew calendar. One index lists all 365 readings with text references, so you can get an overview of the plan and how it works. A Scripture Index helps you to locate a particular Bible passage by page number.

Then, in addition to 15 maps (the sort you’ll find in any study Bible) there is a beautiful fold-out timeline of the entire history found in the Bible. This timeline is color-coded by period, providing lists, names, and dates for the patriarchs, judges, Israelite oppressors, kings of Israel, and kings of Judah. With this gorgeous graphic, you can locate your text or any major figure in the chronology at but a glance.

Conclusion

I eagerly commend to you the ESV Chronological Bible. I plan to make much use of it for my annual speed read in the new year. Crossway graciously sent me a review copy of the TruTone (imitation leather) version, which lays quite flat on any page, making the reading experience all the more pleasant. I expect the hardback version to have just as strong of a physical presence.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, you will provide a small commission to this blog at no extra cost to yourself.

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Why Memorize a Whole Book

November 15, 2023 By Peter Krol

Beth Myers memorized the entire book of Romans and lived to tell us about it. She found the following benefits of such lengthy memorization:

Discovery of passages hidden in plain sight
Understanding of the Scripture
Weapon against anxiety
Love of Scripture
Duty becomes delight
Renewal of the mind
Keen sense of the love of Christ for me
A soaring of my spirit

Perhaps this is worth trying for yourself. Let Myers encourage you to consider it. Check it out!

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How the Reformation Gave us the Bible

November 8, 2023 By Peter Krol

Barry Waugh takes advantage of the anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 theses to reflect on how the Reformation put the Bible into the hands of God’s people.

Owning Scripture was not only pricey but possession could lead to imprisonment or execution. Fourteenth-century forerunners of the Reformation such as John Wycliffe of England and one of his followers in Bohemia, Jan Hus, were persecuted for providing Bibles in the common language of their people. In the case of Hus, translation work contributed to the heresy case against him resulting in his execution at the stake. In the next century, William Tyndale was hunted down wherever he set up his printing press as he moved from place to place to clandestinely provide Scripture in English. He was eventually caught, strangled, and burned at the stake for publishing the Word in the vernacular. Lives were sacrificed for the translation and distribution of Scripture. If Wycliffe, Hus, and Tyndale could return to visit their homelands today they would likely be encouraged by the availability of the Word, especially with digital Bibles accessible on a variety of devices, but they would also be discouraged by the common indifference to and ignorance of Scripture.

Along with the history lesson comes some helpful advice regarding Bible reading.

Check it out!

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