The podcast is on break to celebrate the arrival of my newest grandchild. We’ll return to the Gospel of Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount in mid-September.
Family break 2021
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Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
The Beatitudes: Matthew 5:1-12 Summary
The beatitude describe people who have saving faith and will inherit a place in the kingdom of God. Upon conversion, we don’t start perfectly, courageously and consistently displaying all these qualities of poor in spirit, meek, mourning and so forth. Rather as we grow in faith, we grow in these qualities.
July 2021 Reflections
WitW: Do you interpret the Bible literally? I’m often asked as if no self-respecting adult would do such a thing. Of course, I do! Interpreting the Bible literally means interpreting it according to the way it was written.
23 Why Jesus Says You’re Blessed When Everyone Hates You (Matthew 5:10-16)
People marked by the being poor in spirit, mourning over sin, hungering for righteousness, pursuing peace and mercy, etc. will draw the hostility of the world, but they will be rewarded with eternal life in the kingdom of God. We, his disciples, are not to shrink from following Jesus for fear that the world might hate us. We are to follow him, even though that invites mocking, scoffing and persecution.
22 Why Peacemakers Inherit the Kingdom (Matthew 5:9)
Peacemakers commit the costly act of refusing to answer injury for injury and seeking a peaceful reconciliation instead will find their inheritance as children of God in the kingdom of heaven. When we realize how deeply we ourselves are indebted to God’s grace and dependent on His mercy, we also realize we’re in no position to condemn the sins of others.
immorality, porneia, G4202
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for immorality, porneia.
21 What does Pure in Heart Mean? (Matthew 5:8)
The pure in heart are not those who are morally perfect. Rather their hearts have been cleansed of rebellion and rejection of God. The pure in heart live like the gospel is true, though not perfectly. One day they will stand before God and be accepted.
stumble, skandalizō, G4624
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for stumble or fall away: skandalizō
comfort, parakaleō, G3870
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Biblical Greek verb for comfort, parakaleō G3870.
mercy, eleeó, G1653
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for mercy, ἐλεέω
20 Why Jesus Says Only the Merciful Will Receive Mercy (Matthew 5:7)
Only those will to commit the costly act of being merciful will receive mercy in the kingdom of God, because showing mercy is an implication of having saving faith.
June 2021 Reflections
Does God only bless? Many are willing to believe that God only blesses, but reject the idea that He also judges. A subtext of the beatitudes counters that idea.
19 What Jesus Means by “Blessed Are Those Who Hunger” (Matthew 5:6)
When you’re physically hungry, the desire to eat is so overwhelming you can hardly think about anything else. Jesus is counting on that experience in this beatitude. The truly fortunate ones long for that which is missing in this life which only the kingdom of God can fulfill: holiness.
18 Why Does God Bless the Meek? (Matthew 5:5)
While Matthew 5:5 is probably the most famous beatitude, not many people understand what it means. Jesus does not explain what he means by “meek”, but he is quoting Psalm 37 which gives us a very big clue.
pure, katharos, G2513
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for pure or clean: καθαρός
inherit, kléronomeó, G2816
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for inherit, kléronomeó, κληρονομέω.
17 Why Those who Mourn are Blessed (Matthew 5:4)
Mourning is the appropriate emotional response to being poor in spirit. When you realize that life is not what it should be and you are not the kind of person you should be, the appropriate response is to weep over it.
Understanding Biblical Greek Punctuation & Accents
Even if you’re using an interlinear Bible, it’s helpful to understand the basic punctuation marks and accents.
6 Empires That Shaped the Biblical World
Over the course of biblical history, the children of Israel were challenged, threatened and conquered by several other ancient empires. Understanding something about those empires can inform your biblical understanding.
Happy Memorial Day
We thank all those now serving and pray for their safety and blessing. We are grateful.
May 2021 Reflections
1st major section done! Deep dive into the beatitudes. Tell me what you’ve learned from the Gospel of Matthew so far. I’ll include a few favorites in next month’s email. (This should be fun!)
How the Apostles died
Scripture records the deaths of only 2 apostles: James (Acts 12:1-2) and Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:5). Most of what we know about the deaths of the other apostles comes from early Christian writers and church tradition. Most scholars think the Apostle John is the only apostle who died of natural causes. The exact dates are unknown, most are estimates.
16 Who are the Poor in Spirit? And Why are they Blessed? (Matthew 5:1-3)
Unlike those who are self-satisfied and see themselves as spiritually rich, the poor in spirit know that they are morally bankrupt and nothing in this world can give them what they truly need. This knowledge is a core conviction of saving faith.
How to Listen to a Podcast
Despite the popularity of podcasts today, many people don’t know how to get started listening. Don’t be embarrassed! Ironically, because there are so many different ways to listen, getting started is confusing. Anyone can click on a YouTube video or google a website, but where do you find podcasts? Here are some tutorials.
Israel’s 3 Temples
Israel had 3 temples during its Old & New Testament time period. The original temple was built by Solomon. After the exile, a second temple was built under Zerubbabel. Finally, Herod the Great expanded and enlarged the temple during his reign.
Kings of Persia in Biblical Times
Follow the kings of Persia from Cyrus the Great to Darius III and see where Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah fit.
15 What is a Beatitude? (Matthew 5:1-12)
Before we look at the beatitudes, we need to understand what it means to be blessed, the nature of a beatitudes (Jesus wasn’t the first to employ them) and how Jesus expects us to understand them.
Bible Charts, Lists & Outlines
Here’s my collection of Bible charts, lists, chronologies and outlines.
Distances from Jerusalem
Approximate distances from Jerusalem to key cities and sites in biblical times.
Kings of Babylon in Biblical Times
The Babylonian Empire became a world power in 625 BC after the fall of Assyria. Babylon continued its reign until 536 BC. Nebuchadnezzar, its greatest king, reigned in the days of Daniel and took the southern Kingdom of Judah into captivity after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Babylon was finally captured by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus as predicted by the prophet Daniel, and the Babylonian Empire came to an end in 536 BC.
14 How to Understand the Sermon on the Mount Without Getting Lost (Matthew 5-7)
The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most important passages in Scripture, as it is a profound and unique body of teaching from the Messiah himself. Yet throughout church history, believers have found it difficult to agree on what this sermon means and how it is to be applied to our lives. In this introduction, I’ll contrast the different approaches to the Sermon on the Mount and explain which approach I take.
Biblical Greek Basics
Learning biblical Greek can enrich your Bible study. Even a little knowledge of biblical Greek can help. Check out these tools and tips.
Jewish Day (1st Century) explained
What does the first watch mean? What is the “third hour”? The Jewish day ran from sunset to sunset and was divided in 8 equal parts called watches and hours. Here’s what they mean.
Kings of Assyria in Biblical times
The Assyrian Empire is important to biblical history for devastation the kingdom of Israel and taking the 10 northern tribes into captivity in 722 BC.
13 Why Jesus Started His Ministry in the ‘Wrong’ Place (Matthew 4:12-25)
Matthew 4:12-25 Explained: Jesus calls his first disciples, fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy in Galilee, and announces the kingdom. Learn what “repent” means and why geography matters in the gospels.
Greek Word Studies
Greek Word Studies: Tools to help you study the Greek words in the New Testament from Wednesday in the Word