Luke–Introduction, Part 1
The births of John the Baptist and Jesus occurred under the rule of Herod the Great. It is commonly accepted that his reign extended from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC. The date of his death is fixed to a solar eclipse that occurred that year (ancient historian Josephus tells us Herod died the same year as the eclipse). Recently some scholars have decided the true date should be affixed to a partial eclipse occurring in 1 BC, meaning the birth of Jesus would be closer to the date suggested by map makers of old. There is no way of determining this exactly unless or until other documentation is unearthed. Either way, the birth of John and Jesus occurred near the end of the pre-Common Era.
The Manuscripts, Part 4
In our exploration of objections to the preservation of the New Testament we come to a couple of passages, one very much beloved by tradition, that are of questionable origin. As we mentioned last time, there are some passages that traditionally have been included as part of the Bible that may not have been authored by the original writers. This tradition began with the very first translation efforts. For instance, the translation that King James funded and directed was based on a majority-rule style of translation. This means that the more manuscripts that read a particular way is the reading that would be preferred
The “How’s” and “Why” of Resurrection Bodies
After establishing the reality of a bodily resurrection – an essential point for the day as the Jewish tradition was divided on the issue and Christians were to make it a foundational aspect of their faith -- Paul turns to explain the nature of the resurrection body itself (.35-.57). There are two primary concepts Paul will teach us: how the body is raised from the dead, and perhaps more interestingly, why.
On Tongues and Prophecy
We have seen in the last couple chapters the importance of both unity and diversity in the church, including what tensions these two bring, and how these tensions may be resolved. Further, we have explored and defined spiritual gifts, and the greatest gift of all to mankind -- the gift of love. In stride with these teachings, and the issue of orderly worship which began in chapter 11, Paul continues to teach in chapter 14 regarding our dependence on love and order. The chief concerns are orderly conduct in worship by recognizing the value and proper use of tongues and prophecy.
Gospel Of Luke: Cast of Characters Part One
An “Introduction” is defined as information provided to the reader to prepare them for the main body of the work (ibid.). It may include background information (though not preliminary information) that helps readers understand what led up to the beginning of the first chapter of the main work. This may include references to previous works by the same author that is relevant to the main body. There can be no denial that the bulk of the Gospel of Luke describes the three-year ministry of Jesus. With this being the focus, it makes sense that all material proceeding the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is introductory in nature.
The Manuscripts, Part 3
If you read the NIV translation of the Bible you may have seen some notes attached to certain New Testament passages that state, “the earliest and most reliable translations do not contain verses…” In the NET translation you will simply notice missing verses with a footnote stating those verses do not appear in the earliest manuscripts so they have been omitted. I like the NI V’s approach better, but completely appreciate the purity of the NET editors. The question isn’t how translators handle these passages, however, the question is what’s going on with these verses and should they be included in the Bible at all.
Baptism for the Dead
Following these lessons in orderly worship (chapters 11-14) Paul iterates the gospel’s logical reasoning in chapter 15. The first seven verses relate the gospel; eight through 11 Paul’s own history with the gospel; 12 through 28 tell of Christ’s authority; 29 through 57 answers the question regarding bodily resurrection, and verse 28 applies this in the most natural way. How’s that for a 30,000 foot view of the passage?
The Way of Love
In chapter 13 we discover the basis of the body’s commitment. There is not one single gift Paul mentioned that outweighs the importance of love. On the contrary, love is the basis of the gift. For it is God’s love which gives the gift; it is our love for God that directs the use of the gift; it is our love for others that allows us to use the gifts to serve them. God has demonstrated His love to us repeatedly. By examining the list in verses 4-8a we see a perfect description of God’s love for his children.
Gospel of Luke: Introduction
This marks the start of a prolonged series on the Gospel of Luke. As we’ve already examined the book of Acts, it seems reasonable that the first Gospel we study should be Luke as both share a common author. Ask anyone to compare the gospels and two facts will almost always be mentioned: (1) that John is the Gospel of Love, and (2) that Luke is the Historical Gospel. While it is true that John gives us a look into Jesus’ personal struggles and relates stories not contained in any other gospel account, it is not true that Luke is purely a historical account.
Conclusion of 1 Corinthians
Chapter 16, the final chapter of 1 Corinthians, is divided into two parts each promoting the common theme of obedience to proper authorities. The first part, .1-.13, is a short narrative concerning ministry. The second part, .13-.24, contains subtle warnings against false teachers. In the first four verses we find that obeying proper authorities entails giving. These four verses parallel his expanded teaching of the subject in 2 Corinthians 8.1-9.15. The practice was to save a portion of one’s income to be given as a gift (not a tithe, which in the Old Testament was actually a tax) to traveling missionaries.
Should Women Remain Silent?
There is one more often misunderstood instruction left to this chapter. Beginning in verse 33 Paul states that “women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.” Is Paul suddenly revealing a flash of chauvinism? Is he now trying to inject some Old Testament law into Christian living? On the contrary, but to understand this teaching we must understand the circumstances that prompted it. In Paul’s day, women were not formally educated and most of the men were. What difference does this make? Good question.
Spiritual Gifts, Part 2
What a spiritual gift is NOT. A Spiritual Gift Is Not A Place Of Service: The gift of teaching can be done in a school, a church, a home, a park, or even at Dairy Queen. A Spiritual Gift Is Not An Office: In this regard, there is much confusion over the gift of pastor. The gift is to shepherd people and can be done by he who occupies our ecclesiastical office of pastor, or it could be done by a father or mother, or anyone who is shepherding people. A Spiritual Gift Is Not A Particular Age Group…