J.A. Medders | Knowable Word

Use Context to Resist Satan

May 21, 2025 By Peter Krol

J.A. Medders reflects on the fact that the devil hates context. He’ll quote scripture but ignore what’s present right in the immediate context. We should make sure we don’t do the same. (My co-blogger Ryan once made a similar point.) In fact, by employing context in our Bible study, we’ll be better equipped to resist the wiles of Satan.

The devil took Psalm 91:11–12, applied it to Jesus, and left out the context. And here’s why: verse 13 is an allusion, reminder, and reinforcement of the promise God made in Genesis 3:15. There in the garden of Eden, as sin rippled through the universe, the devil heard his doom—someone would be born who would crush his head. And his name is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. He didn’t want to think about Jesus and verse 13.

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We Need the Hard Texts

August 4, 2021 By Peter Krol

J.A. Medders has a wonderful piece for preachers entitled “Pastor, Your People Need the Hard Texts.” While he’s speaking to those who speak regularly from the pulpit, his point applies just as well to those leading small group studies. And to those studying God’s word for themselves, who are inclined to skip the weird or uncomfortable parts of the Bible.

Medders focuses on the disturbing narrative of Genesis 38, which includes sexual deviance, deceit, abuse, and neglect. We tend to be much more comfortable with Genesis 39, where the good guy resists the wiles of sexual temptation. But we need the grisly reality of Genesis 38 just as much.

The story of righteous Joseph ghosting Potiphar’s wife is no stranger to podcast feeds and pulpits. But if we aren’t careful, we could fall into the heinous error of communicating only one situation of sexual sin—a man resisting the advances of a woman—and then inadvertently paint women as the reason sexual sin happens. There’s a reason why #ChurchToo exists. We need a wide-angle lens for identifying sexual sin. And Genesis 38, in context with Genesis 39, shows us the sexual sin of men—Onan and Judah—and the sins of abuse and neglect that Tamar endures.

This is quite important stuff. Check it out!

5 Ways to Read More of the Bible

November 20, 2019 By Peter Krol

J.A. Medders has some terrific advice to help you read more of the Bible. At its core, his essential counsel cannot be improved on: Just read the Bible. But we have so many expectations regarding what Bible reading time should look like, that we often fail to read simply because we can’t meet our accumulated expectations!

So Medders offers 2 rejections and 3 practices to encourage you to just read.

Reject needing the Instagrammable scenario (you don’t need an undistracted 30 minutes or a perfect cup of coffee; just read).
Reject the checkbox (you don’t need to wait for enough time to complete a predetermined selection of text; just read).
Read on your phone (make use of technology and downtime; it is no less valuable or spiritual).
Read without study speed bumps (just keep going and don’t feel like the time is wasted if you don’t look into every curiosity).
Read in community (“teamwork makes the dream work”).

This is great and encouraging advice. Just keep reading, and God will use it.

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5 Ways to Read More of the Bible

January 9, 2019 By Peter Krol

J.A. Medders understands real life, and how the ideal setting for Bible reading rarely occurs. In his post “5 Ways to Read More of the Bible,” he mentions a few ways to capitalize on the clumpy nature of life.

Life is loaded. Add up the ingredients of a routine day: getting kids ready for school, packing lunches, getting ready for work, traffic, co-workers, projects, meetings, helping with homework, kids extracurricular activities, exercise, church functions, and more. And this recipe alone doesn’t make it difficult to regularly read the Bible.
These full days also get bits of eggshell in the batter. Days can spin out of our routine with stress at work, car problems, sick kids, a spouse traveling for work, or a rough night of sleep. Our days can be unpredictable, and that’s why our Bible intake often is too.

Medders holds himself to 2 rejections and 3 practices. If you already feel behind on your Bible reading plan, perhaps these suggestions might work for you as well.

Reject needing the Instagrammable scenario
Reject the checkbox
Read on your phone
Read without study speed bumps
Read in community

This is great advice. Check it out!

Why You Shouldn’t Skip the Genealogies

July 18, 2018 By Peter Krol

J.A. Medders understands the temptation to skip boring parts of the Bible, such as genealogies, even in his preaching. But he advises us not to do it. Why?

Genealogies remind us the Bible isn’t about us.
Genealogies remind us of God’s promise to send a son.

Medders has some needed encouragement to help us better align our hopes with God’s priorities. And I agree. Each year, as I commit to reading the genealogies along with the rest of the Scriptures, I find myself appreciating them more each time. Medders concludes:

[Genealogies] remind us about a list of names where you are listed. Right now, in Heaven, the Lamb’s Book of Life is filled with the names of those who would be redeemed by the blood of Jesus. And if you believe in the risen Lord, your name is on a page—and it’s written in ink older than the earth (Rev. 17:8). You aren’t listed in Exodus 6 or Matthew 1, but you are listed in Heaven, in a genealogy of Christ’s brothers and sisters.

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Jesus and the Proverbs

September 3, 2014 By Peter Krol

How do we se Jesus in the Proverbs? Simple. As J.A. Medders writes, “Wisdom is a ‘Who’ More than a ‘What.'”

The Proverbs are the practical righteousness of Christ, his life, played out in our sanctification. Wisdom isn’t a nebulous concept, or ancient advice for life. Wisdom is draped in Nazarene flesh. Wisdom is the Ancient of Days. And now, by the gospel of grace, Jesus is our wisdom, and our righteousness, and our sanctification.

Medders summarizes the connections in two concise ideas: