Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
Discover why the traditional interpretation of Matthew 7:6 (“pearls before swine”) may miss Jesus’ point. This minority view better fits the Sermon on the Mount’s context and challenges us to treasure God’s gifts. Includes Old Testament background from Exodus 22.
Welcome to the family! Really you can start anywhere and pick any book of the Bible to begin learning. In addition to finding a good local church and small group, here’s one suggested path to start learning.
Discover what Jesus really meant by “judge not” in Matthew 7:1-5. Learn why the log and speck parable challenges self-righteousness and reveals the path to God’s mercy. Biblical teaching from the Sermon on the Mount.
I spent 2021 in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 1-7. Teaching through the Sermon on the Mount has long been on my bucket list of passages to teach and I'm grateful to have reached that goal. If it were actually possible to compile a list of the "Bible's Greatest Hits,"...
Do I choose God or does God choose me? Once a believer, always a believer? You may never have thought these questions through. Or you may be inconsistent in living like they are true (or false). Either way, how you answer some basic theological questions makes a world of difference in daily life.
Discover what Jesus really meant in Matthew 6:25-34 about worry, anxiety, and trust. Learn the biblical difference between concern and worry, and how to seek God’s kingdom while meeting your physical needs. Includes practical application from the Sermon on the Mount.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for worry, merimano
Do I choose God or does God choose me? Once a believer, always a believer? You may never have thought these questions through. Or you may be inconsistent in living like they are true (or false). Either way, how you answer some basic theological questions makes a world of difference in daily life.
Discover what Jesus really meant by “treasures in heaven” in Matthew 6:19-24. Learn why you can’t serve two masters, how to store up lasting treasure, and the test that reveals if your eye is spiritually healthy or blind.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek verb to judge, krino.
We have some really interesting passages left in the Sermon on on the Mount: store up treasures in heaven; do not be anxious about your life; don’t throw pearls to the pigs; seek and you will find; the golden rule and not everyone who says “Lord Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. We’ll cover those in January-February and then I’m taking a break before starting the next series.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for peace, eiréné
“Discover what Jesus really meant by ‘lead us not into temptation’ in Matthew 6:13. Understand testing vs. tempting and why this prayer matters today.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for trespass or transgression, paraptoma
Discover what Jesus really meant when He taught us to pray “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Learn why forgiving others is essential to saving faith and how the parable of the unforgiving servant challenges your heart.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Biblical Greek noun for debts, opheilema G3783.
I hope you've been enjoying our study of the Lord's prayer. It's something most of us routinely say but don't often study. I plan to finish the Lord's Prayer in December, finish the Sermon on the Mount in January, and then start a new series after a break. We'll come...
In Matthew 6:11 we don’t know with certainty what the word translated “daily” means. This leads to much debate and two good interpretations: one literal and one metaphorical. Both understandings have merit. Both use good methodology. Both teach something that is taught elsewhere in Scripture, and in that sense, both of them are true. In this life, we may never be certain which one Jesus meant, but we can affirm the truths both of them teach.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek noun for trial or temptation: peirasmos
Discover what Jesus really meant in the Lord’s Prayer. Learn why “Thy Kingdom Come” is the only request that matters and how to stop praying like the Pharisees and pagans. Matthew 6:7-10 explained.
When studying the atonement, you’re likely to run across two technical words: expiation and propitiation. These terms tend to appear in a text without explanation. But since they are not in the Bible and they don’t often come up in daily conversation, it can be difficult to remember what they mean.
Discover what Jesus really meant in Matthew 6:1-6 about giving, praying, and fasting. Learn the difference between seeking God’s reward and settling for human approval and why it matters for eternity.
ools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for sin, hamartia.
Background, historical and cultural information to help you study the bible.
17 podcasts to cover Matthew 5. A new record! In November we’ll begin Matthew 6 which includes the Lord’s prayer. You say it. Do you know what it means?
Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. In one sense, loving your neighbor is a simple, practical guide to good conduct. But it is also a truth we have to embrace and choose to follow. In that sense, it is a test of faith.
Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom (Judah) His ministry spans 50-60 years from approximately 740 – 680 BC during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (kings of Judah).
Introductions to background, history, chronology and books of the Bible.
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for applying instructions for the judges of Israel to their personal behavior. They claim they can be proportionally vindictive in the name of seeking retribution and still consider themselves blameless. Jesus says the guiding principle is not “an eye for an eye” but rather “turn the other cheek.”
How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? First, we can examine what the Bible claims about itself.
Discover what Jesus really meant in Matthew 5:33-37 about oaths and vows. Learn why the Pharisees got it wrong, what it means to take God’s name in vain, and how to let your yes be yes today.
How can God be one being and yet 3 persons? While not explained explicitly in any passage, the concept of the Trinity is progressively revealed in Scripture. The early church struggled for centuries to understand the doctrine of the Trinity before landing on 3 statements.
Both Moses and Jesus recognize that we sinners are going to fail in our marriages and so they allowed divorce with some regulations. Moses did not mean divorce was a righteous option. Divorce results from the fact that the parties involved are sinners. God intended marriage to be forever but divorce is a necessary evil because of our sin.
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Biblical Greek verb for daily, epiousios, G1967.
Without the proper tools, your ability to do great Bible study is limited. On this one page, you’ll find links to websites, maps, charts, overviews, outlines, timelines encyclopedias, concordances and tips on how to use them.
We can have all the knowledge in the universe, but if we don’t fear the Lord, the Bible calls us fools. The fear of the Lord is the necessary ingredient that turns knowledge into wisdom. In that way, our righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and the Pharisees.