YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE!
New Testament Survey
By Dr. Bob Utley, retired professor of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Guide to Good Bible Reading: A Personal Search for Verifiable Truth
Opening Lecture
Introduction to Matthew
Introduction to Ephesians
Introduction to 1 Peter
Introduction to Mark
Introduction to Philippians
The Man, Peter
Introduction to Luke
Introduction to Colossians
Introduction to 2 Peter
Introduction to John
Introduction to 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Introduction to 1 John
Introduction to Acts
Introduction to 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus
Introduction to 2 & 3 John
Introduction to Romans
Introduction to Titus
Introduction to Jude
Introduction to 1 Corinthians
Introduction to Philemon
Introduction to Old Testament Prophecy
Introduction to 2 Corinthians
Introduction to Hebrews
Crucial Introductory Article
Introduction to Galatians
Introduction to James
Introduction to Revelation
Charts and Maps:
New Testament Timeline
Maps of Palestine and the Mediterranean
Appendices:
Glossary
Textual Criticism
Brief Definitions of Greek Grammatical Structure
Copyright © 2016 Bible Lessons International. All rights reserved. Any copies or distribution of any part of this material must be made available at no cost. Such copies or distribution must give credit to Dr. Bob Utley and include a reference to www.freebiblecommentary.org
The primary biblical text used in this commentary is: New American Standard Bible (Update, 1995) Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Posted at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Biblical Language of John Muir
Other — By Amy Cannon on October 13, 2009 at 8:14 am
Ken Burns six-part foray into The National Parks, subtitled “America’s Best Idea,” debuts this month, with sweeping cinematography and historical riches. It focuses on early defenders of conservation and on such national treasures as Yosemite and the Everglades as fruit of their labor.
Posted at 08:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Many recent publications on the net or in your neighborhood, Christian bookshop (for those of you residing in the Christendom West) propose that followers of Jesus understand themselves as exiles, positioned in a wilderness narthex- much like the church cloak room. An ontological state of betweenness -not being at home in the traditional church and and not being at home in the secular culture of our particular sociological milieu. They suggest that to be like Christ is to be homeless radicals or alien revolutionaries – troublers of Israel – so to speak. Dissatisfied with what is, we are encouraged to dream, vision and imagine revolutionary communities, and new allegiances for the sake of the Kingdom. This betweenness of being is calculated to foment more than mere dissatisfaction, it is the breeding grounds for revolution.
Don’ t get me wrong on what I’m going to say next – I love radicalism – just for the sake of being radical, often – to be honest. I also get off on rants against complacency and the need for a whole new way of doing church! I truly believe -with a hyper-Yoderian commitment, that we need to be alien in our best Peter the Apostle strangers and aliens sense of the word. But what are we saying when we suggest we can no longer align with and find common identity with the Western church? If we need to go out on nomadic pilgrimmages to find the true community or, to humbly form it ourselves – is this the form of revolution Jesus advocated? I am the first to whine, complain, and snort at the Western church because she is engulfed in and often conforming to the post-modern, pluralistic, self-consumed, over-fed, eco-sucking, Imperialistic, relativistic, me-first, leave your brains at the door, entertain me til’ I drop, beauty pageant, Western, secular, consumer-obsessed culture. So get on with the revolution, throw out the hag and let’s start fresh!
This is where I have to say, “okay, stop the passionate rants and lets think this one through.” The goal should not be to overthrow, desert, or leave in her death throes the haggard, prostituded -out, bride of Christ in the West. For as spotted and blemished and wrinkled as she is – she is the bride of Christ ....
READ MORE AT: via beingmissional.com
The balance between being the church's most ardent critic and most enthusiastic booster is the line where authenticity often settles.
As critics, we do so from the inside, where judgment begins in the house of the Lord. We are being self-critical.
I think that one often lost point that we see in the example of Jesus is that He was critical of organized religion principally in the areas where they were most critical of others. It was their judgmental behavior toward people and their attacks on His ministry where He was most likely to see and charge hypocrisy.
This article is a healthy contribution to the discussion of Christian radicalism.
Posted at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The following argument is valid:
- (Premise) Every reasonable desire can be fulfilled.
- (Premise) The desire for moral perfection is reasonable.
- (Premise) Moral perfection requires being such that one is morally responsible and yet cannot do wrong.
- (Premise) If naturalism is true, a state that entails moral responsibility and an inability to do wrong is not attainable.
- Therefore, naturalism is false.
The argument being valid, the question is whether it is sound.
Posted at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
“To the church in…” suggests unity as opposed to exclusion
September 24, 2009 By: Alan Knox Category: blog links, members, scripture, unity
I love that line. “‘To the church in…’ suggests unity as opposed to exclusion.” I stole that line from my friend Eric (from “A Pilgrim’s Progress“) in his post “To the Church in…” In part of the article, Eric says:
via www.alanknox.net
Posted at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Today, 250 years ago a great pastor was born, Charles Simeon. He was called to Trinity Church, Cambridge in May of 1782. And he endured fruitfully there through much fire for 54 years until his death November 13, 1836.
Didn't Wesley and Whitfield have a similar meeting of the minds in later years?
Posted at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Though Jesus allows questions from his disciples, he doesn't follow the pattern so common today that says "there is no such thing as a stupid question." In fact, there definitely is such thing as a stupid question.
Make sure to click this link, because Mike Anderson makes a powerful observation on the teaching practices of Jesus in dealing with questions that distract from the real issues.
Posted at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Facts are NOT Anti-Religious
In the small community of Sedalia Missouri there happens to be a substantial Krishna community. (I won’t get into the various names for specific Krishna religions, but will just refer to them as Krishna for simplicity.) Recently they took offense at the T-shirts worn by the local high school band. The theme was a trip to the moon and their shirts featured imagery from the Apollo moon landings.
The Krishnas took offense at this because, according to their Vedic scriptures, the moon landing was a hoax. Specifically it says that the moon is further away than the sun, and that in order for a human to exist on another world, they have to leave their body and adopt one made for that world. Therefore the astronauts could not have landed on the moon, and the moon landings must have been a hoax. Seriously – they really believe this.
via www.theness.com
Read the rest by clicking above.
I might add that Christianity (and religion) is not necessarily anti-fact (or science) either.
Posted at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Ross has posted these comments by Geoff Thompson on theology as academic research:Theologians engaging in research commit themselves to certain protocols of argument which are often absent from the populist theological debates which occur in the church. Involvement in research is, at the very least, a commitment to the academy’s culture of debate where protocols such as the following would (hopefully) apply: the sifting and weighing up of evidence, a humility to see the weaknesses in one's own position and to be corrected by one's critics, care in the construction of arguments, a willingness to employ persuasion rather than dogmatism, and (therefore) a refusal to be dominated by the immediate....Sometimes theological discussion in the churches is illuminating and inspiring. Generally, however, the culture of theological discussion in the churches has little patience with the kinds of protocols noted above. It is frequently reactive, often trapped in denominational and geographical parochialism, and seldom well-informed. It is often driven by the pragmatic and the contingent, and is thereby distanced from any patient quest for the truth which intentionally draws on a larger horizon of theological wisdom. All of this is intensified by the underlying theological and biblical illiteracy which characterises so much contemporary Christianity.Of course, for an alternative model to be recognised and appreciated, it would be necessary to break through the prevailing culture. The work and witness of the research-oriented theologian might not of itself be sufficient to effect that break through. Nevertheless, a research-strong faculty might become something of a benchmark within the life of the church for more patient and theologically-richer discussions within the church at large.I think these questions deserve much more attention than they usually receive. What does it mean to say that theology can be practised as university research? One of the most interesting things I've read on this is an article by Hans Ulrich, which I summarised in an earlier post. And I also really appreciated Bruce McCormack's brief article on the justification of a theology faculty.
Posted at 06:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)