The Epistle to the Hebrews is one that has perplexed Christians for generations. The letter is unlike anything seen in the rest of the New Testament, and uses typology and symbolism to communicate the precious truth of Christ. In regards to this theologian N.T. Wright states, “The letter to the Hebrews is one of the most bracing and challenging writings in the New Testament. People often find it a bit difficult, because it uses ideas that are strange to us[1].”... Read more
The movie, The Mission, is based on the historical events of an 18th century Jesuit mission. The film portrays the importance that missions had among the Roman Catholic Church, and the urgency there was to spread the Gospel. The film also displays something that has been all too common throughout history, and that is the bad treatment of colonies on native peoples. It is an epic film of people uniting to “shield a South American tribe from brutal subjugation by 18th-century colonial empires[1].”... Read more
Qohelet is the Hebrew name for the book of Ecclesiastes. The more popular rendering of Ecclesiastes is the Greek rendering that was found in the Greek Old Testament Septuagint. Just who Qohelet is has been a matter of debate for several centuries. One clue to the identity of the writer is in Ecclesiastes 1:1 which states, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (ESV-CE). The ESV renders Qohelet as “preacher”, but other translations list it as “teacher”. ... Read more
C.S. Lewis is one of the most popular Christian writers of the twentieth century. He is the author of such works as Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, and the Narnia series. In Reflections on the Psalms Lewis takes a look at this great book of scripture, and strives to help the unlearned discover the meaning of the book. Background of C.S. Lewis This can be seen in the opening paragraph of the introduction. In it Lewis writes, “This is not a... Read more
In chapter three of the letter to the Hebrews the pastor tells his listeners that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses. This is significant in many respects, and the pastor does this to remind them of their new faith and responsibility to the gospel. In doing this the pastor uses his great Old Testament knowledge and referenced Numbers 12:7-8 and Psalm 95:7-11 in Hebrews 3:3-5. This selection from the Pentateuch describes Moses and the agent by which God gave his... Read more
The Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles is written by Dr. Brandon D. Crowe[1]. Dr. Crowe is an accomplished New Testament theologian and scholar who is a New Testament professor as Westminster Theological Seminary[2]. In addition to being a professor of the New Testament, he is also book review editor of the prestigious Westminster Theological Journal. His education includes a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Ph. D from the... Read more
In chapter three of Hebrews the pastor/author is exhorting the congregation to stand firm and to grow in the gospel. In chapter four he shifts and discusses the promise of rest to the people of God [1]. Throughout scripture we read of “rest” and is closely associated with the rest that God took on the Sabbath after creation was complete. The rest spoken of in Hebrews four is that of rest after this life is over. In other words it... Read more
The current theological landscape is one that has its roots in the 19th century. In an attempt to discover what Jesus taught and experienced, theologians began to use methods that were only historical in nature. An emphasis was placed on the historical and cultural context in which Christ lived. Though this has its place, who Jesus was started to get lost in the shuffle. Theologians began to come to conclusions about the person of Christ that were contrary to established Christian... Read more
Pastor Jon Stallings joins us for our debut episode. He is copastor of Life Church in Conyers, GA. In this episode Pastor Jon discusses how he became a Christian, when he first felt the call to ministry, and some of the highs and lows he has experienced. It is a conversation that will build up your faith and perhaps help you answer the call that God has on your life. Check out Pastor Jon’s website at www.jonstallings.com About Pastor Jon... Read more
As we get older, we look back on things we have done with a sense of awe, accomplishment, and in some cases horror. This is because life is a learning process that starts from the time we are born. We learn to walk, speak, ride a bike, and later in life we teach others to do the same. Discipleship is similar in this regard. In Discipleship we start with our birth which is making Christ our savior, we learn to... Read more
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