Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
The period of the divided kingdom ended with the people of Israel being taken into captivity. First, the people of the northern kingdom were conquered by Assyria, leaving Judah to struggle on alone. Finally, the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, leaving all the children of Israel in exile from the land. Here is an overview and timeline of the exile of Israel and her return from captivity.
Through these miraculous healing, Jesus physically demonstrates that he came to rescue us from our ultimate suffering which is rooted in our sin and our guilt.
After the death of King Solomon, two of his sons, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, fought for the throne. When Rehoboam harshly raised taxes on the people, the 10 northern tribes rebelled and installed Jeroboam as their king, creating the northern kingdom of Israel. The two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained with Rehoboam and became the kingdom of J
Matthew has just quoted Jesus as claiming to have authority from God. Now he turns our attention to how Jesus acts with God’s authority, by performing miracles only God can perform. These miracles confront us with a choice to believe Jesus is who he says he is.
Watch for these things when you’re making an analytical outline.
After the death of King Solomon, two of his sons, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, fought for the throne. When Rehoboam harshly raised taxes on the people, the 10 northern tribes rebelled and installed Jeroboam as their king, creating the northern kingdom of Israel. The two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained with Rehoboam and became the kingdom of Judah.
A 24-week Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew 8-12 from the podcast Wednesday in the Word with Krisan Marotta.
No new podcasts this month as I’m busy preparing for the Gospel of Matthew Part 2. I’m planning to cover chapters 8-12 which will take us through the next major discourse of Jesus. We’ll be talking about authority a lot.
The Essenes are the third major “philosophical school” identified by Josephus. Little is know about them with certainty.
The Zealots were a revolutionary movement that arose in response to Jewish oppression by the Roman empire (but they were not the only revolutionary movement).
Here’s advice from an expert on how not to burn out your retreat speaker.
The Sadducees were linked with the high priesthood and power. The party grew out of the aristocratic Sanhedrin.
Overview of the Bible: Just as it’s helpful to know the culture of Jane Austin before reading Emma, it’s helpful to know the history behind the Bible.
After studying the Sabbath, it seems appropriate take a break from the podcast. Then we’ll resume our study of the Gospel of Matthew. We’ll pick up in chapter 8 where Matthew begins to highlight the authority of Jesus.
How did Jesus had to our understanding of what should we do or not do on the Sabbath? He taught that Sabbath is a rest that is given, not earned, and that our “job” is to enjoy it, not to live up to it.
Yes, Jesus is coming back! Yes, he warned his disciples his return would not be soon. All the New Testament writes claim the return of Christ is integral to our Christian hope.
Sabbath rest is yet to come —the rest we enjoy today anticipates the real Sabbath rest that awaits us in the kingdom. That future rest is granted to those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Biblical Greek verb for authority authenteo G831.
As a ministry leader, you often do surveys. But what questions should ask? Which questions solicit the best input? After 30 years in ministry — and countless surveys! — these are the questions I’ve found most helpful.
How do we keep the Sabbath? The simple command is not to work. We stop the activities we do that sustain our lives and instead we do the things that most foster our relationship to, understanding of and dependence on God.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Biblical Greek noun for authority, exousia G1849.
Commentaries can kick-start your thinking when you hit a dead end but should not be a substitute for your own work. Here’s my two rules of thumb.
If you’re a new believer or just new to Wednesday in the Word, here are some suggested places to start.
Sabbath is about who God is. It’s not about what we need to live healthy lives. It’s not about making sure we get our rest so that we can be productive at work, be nice to our family and stay awake during Bible Studies (though none of those things are bad things). Sabbath reminds us who God is. Because as we’ll see, on the Sabbath, we rest to remember God.
One of the first questions new believers confront is: how do I find God’s will for my life? It’s a lot easier thank you think, if you avoid the bad advice and focu
Multi-volume encyclopedias are good sources for historical and biblical themes. But background information does not impose meaning.
We know we need real rest and we know the answer is Sabbath. But what is the Sabbath? Why does God command it? When do we enjoy it? And how can we rest when so much work remains to be done?
What is the Sabbath? Why does God command it? Did Jesus change it? When do we get to enjoy it? And how can God justify resting when so much work remains to be done? We’ll tackle these questions in the April podcasts series: Sabbath: Why, how and when.
What if God has called me to something and I’m just plain afraid to follow? What if the path He has put before me seems too frightening or overwhelming?
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for Sabbath, sabbaton.
Lexicons & dictionaries can reveal what might be “lost in translation” but they also tempt us to fall into the trap of “I learned a fact about a word and I must use it.”
How do you accomplish great things for the kingdom of God and quiet that inner voice that says whatever you’re doing, it’s not enough? In 2Kings 5 we see a series of contrasts between how the world measures greatness and God measures greatness.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for hope, elpis
A concordance is an organized list of all the biblical texts which contain a given word. Concordances allow you to broaden your understanding of how a word is used and its range of meanings. There are 3 types: analytical, exhaustive and complete.
When God called Elisha to be succeed the prophet Elijah, Elisha was a farmer with no apparent qualifications. Yet Elisha burned his ox and followed. Then Elisha refused to leave his mentor’s side, humbly asking that God equip him for the journey ahead.
You’ll be surprised at how the information on a map can open your study. Consider how knowing that the road to Jericho was 17-miles changes the parable of the good Samaritan