Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
It has become a tradition for Professor Ken Elzinga give a welcome address to new University of Virginia students and their parents during Move-In Day Lunches at the Center for Christian Study. Here is 2020 his message to parents of incoming students.
It has become a tradition for Professor Ken Elzinga give a welcome address to new University of Virginia students and their parents during Move-In Day Lunches at the Center for Christian Study. Here is 2020 his message to incoming students.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Proverbs.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Job.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Job.
Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul give extraordinary importance to the giving of the Holy Spirit. Why? In this series we’ll look study a variety of passages with the goal of understanding who the Holy Spirit is and why we need him.
Starting September 9, new 10-week series explores what both the Old and New Testament teach us about the Holy Spirit.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Ezekiel.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament books of 1&2 Chronicles.
Bible Study 101: Genre – Understanding the various types of literature found in Scripture from Wednesday in the Word.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament books of 1&2 Kings.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the New Testament book of Revelation.
The gospels are unique in content, although they are similar in form to ancient biographies.
Apocalyptic literature is a sub-category of prophecy. The name comes from the Greek word apocalypsis which means uncovering or unveiling.
Background, historical and cultural information to help you study the bible.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Judges.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Joshua.
After a few years of Bible study, students often begin asking, “Should I learn biblical Greek and Hebrew?” While the tools for English readers continue to improve and less people are learning the original languages, knowing the original languages can be helpful. You can learn enough to widen the tools available to you and/or learn to read Scripture in the original language.
On the cross Jesus asked, Why have you forsaken me? The contrast between the trial before the Sanhedrin and the denial of Peter illustrate the answer.
Probably one of the most difficult questions Christians are asked is: If God is sovereign, why bother to pray? Why pray, since it won’t change anything? This question gives a really good start on understanding it.
Exegesis, eisegesis, hermeneutics? Wondering what all those terms mean? Here’s the definitions.
What’s the most expensive thing you own? Maybe it’s not the most expensive in terms of dollars, but maybe it’s something that’s impossible to replace? What would it take to make you part with it? That kind of costly, self-sacrificing love is at the theme of this question.
Quotations/Allusions to the Old Testament books of Proverbs and Ecclesistes in the New Testament
Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, was a theologian and philosopher who lived from 354-430 AD. He is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers, and his writings influenced the development of Western philosophy. Here are his principles of interpretation.
As we’ve seen, Jesus asks questions designed to help people understand themselves and God in a new way. The question “whose likeness is on this coin” often prompts a lecture on paying taxes and financial stewardship. But this passage is more about image and authority than money.
What do you want Jesus to do for you? Do you want him to make you great? Greatness is not demanding loyalty and service from others. Greatness is serving, to the point of giving your life.
This question comes from the well-known passage about the rich young ruler. The rich man wants to know what he can do to inherit eternal life. He learns that what he must do is impossible to do.
The “church fathers” are the earliest writers outside of the New Testament. Their writings are not classified as apocryphal nor are they considered authoritative. They wrote to edify their fellow Christians.
The questions we’ll look at in the rest of our series will differ from the previous questions. These questions cover a wider range of topics and the questions focus more on what Jesus came to do and by extension what does it mean to follow him, rather than on who he is. The passage concerns divorce and marriage, and the question that Jesus asks is, “What did Moses command?”
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Ezra.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Daniel. The Book of Daniel addresses the question of how to live godly lives in a world dominated by hostile forces.
This question is the turning point of the story. So far in Mark’s gospel, the primary focus of Jesus’ teaching revealing his authority as the Son of Man and the Servant of God. Having established his identity, Jesus now prepares his disciples for what he came to do.
The passage contains several questions which all revolve around seeing and not seeing, culminating with Jesus asking a blind man if he sees anything.
While working on my upcoming series “Who is the Holy Spirit,” I’ve been revising, creating and updating my Bible study resources pages. I hope you’re finding them useful! I’m adding several new sections to the resources, including basic introductory information, free journal articles online and answers to basic questions.
How the letters in the New Testament came to be there
Jesus asks this question of his disciples. He highlights a specific area of concern: what makes a person unclean?