Exegesis of John 9 Part 3 Critical Discussion John 9 takes the theological concepts of darkness and light and presents an object lesson to illustrate what that looks like with ordinary people. The duality between light and dark is not unique to this chapter. This theme is carried through the rest of his work. Starting …
Exegesis of John 9 Part 2
Exegesis of John 9 Part 2 Exegesis In chapter 8, Jesus has just given the Pharisees teaching on light and that Jesus is the light of the world (vs. 12). Further, he includes knowing Jesus is to know the Father (vs. 19). After this, Jesus cryptically predicts his death (vss. 28-29) and declares that those …
Exegesis of John 9 Part 1
Exegesis of John 9 Part 1 Introduction In John chapter 9, Jesus performs a stunning miracle. However, John adds a “Paul Harvey” rest of the story narrative to drive home a point on who is blind and who is not. This story gives just a couple of verses to the actual miracle. More important is …
Exegetical Comments on 3 John 5-12
Exegetical Comments on 3 John 5-12 The letter of 3 John is the most letter-like of the three epistles. John identifies himself as the elder (πρεσβύτερος) and identifies the recipient of the letter as Gaius. The identity of Gaius could be related to the figure of 1 Corinthians 1:14 and Romans 16:23, or it could …
Exegetical Comments on 2 John 4-11
Exegetical Comments on 2 John 4-11 The brief letter of 2 John has the theme of warning against false teachers and heresies. John begins this portion of his letter by commending those who have remained faithful to the gospel (vs. 4). John continues in vs. 5 by using the same address to his audience in …
Exegetical Comments on 1 John 2:3-11
Exegetical Comments on 1 John 2:3-11 During Jesus’ ministry, his adversaries were very concerned about keeping God’s commands in the Torah. So Jesus reduced the 613 laws of the Torah to two – love God completely and love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). The passage at hand speaks to the commandments of God …
Exegetical Comments on Revelation 1:12-16
Exegetical Comments on Revelation 1:12-16 The context of the passage it is in the beginning introduction of John's apocalyptic message. He will deliver specific messages to seven churches after this passage; the purpose of vss.12-20 is to introduce the message. Specifically, 12-16 introduces the figure of Jesus using apocalyptic language. John has introduced himself …
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Exegetical Comments on John 4:19-30
Exegetical Comments on John 4:19-30 The passage at hand falls after the prologue, within the Book of Signs in John’s gospel after the Cana cycle of chapters 2 and 3. Here, Jesus breaks two essential first-century Jewish taboos: he was a man talking with a woman, and the woman was a Samaritan. As the …
A Reflection on Hebrews 7:11-22
Hebrews 7:11-22 The passage at hand falls in the middle of the sermon to the Hebrews. Chapter seven starts with the author discussing the priesthood of Melchizedek referencing Genesis 14:17-20 when Abraham encountered the priest/king of Salem (Jerusalem). The author of Hebrews points out that Melchizedek had no lineage (instead of the Levitical line …
How To Study The Bible Part 3: Exegesis and Hermeneutics
How To Study The Bible Part 3: Exegesis and Hermeneutics In this video, I get into the guts of Biblical exegesis and hermeneutics. I mention a 4th class in the video but I will not post a video for that. The 4th class focuses on doing exegesis and hermeneutics together focusing on a specific passage. …
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Exegesis of Luke 2:21-35
Exegesis of Luke 2:21-35 21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as …
How to Study the Bible Part 2: It’s All in the Translation
https://youtu.be/DpiHMWjy2G0 Links to some of the Bibles mentioned: ESV Bible CSB Bible NET Bible MEV Bible NLT Bible KJV Bible
Video – How to Study the Bible Part 1
Here is Part 1 of a four part series on how to study the Bible. This part looks into "What is this Book?" We look at how the Bible came together, the Septuagint, Old and New Testament.
The Holy Spirit Fulfillment of Torah Law Part 2 of 2.
The question remains, what is the role of the Torah given the resurrection and ascension?
Plantinga’s Freewill explanation of evil
One of the main goals of any world view is addressing the question of suffering and evil. Alvin Plantinga takes an approach that stresses the free will of the individual as an explanation.
Receiving the Gift Ephesians 2:8-10
In my last blog post, I went through Ephesians 1:1-14 and the concept of freely choosing to join the predetermined group. In a discussion of free will, my Calvinist brothers and sisters may bring up this verse, also from Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:1-14 – The Army You Are Joining
When the British, Canadian, and American soldiers invaded Normandy on D-day, they knew what army they belonged to. Although some, if not most, had been conscripted for duty, it is undeniable that most of the soldiers involved in that day were there of their own volition. They wanted to be there.
The Life in Christ – Choosing Things Above Video
Video of the sermon I posted a few weeks ago on Colossians 3:1-17
Cur Deus Homo: Anselm of Canterbury and an Apologetic for the Incarnation
Covenant – Various passages in Hebrews
What makes the New Covenant superior to the Old Covenant? The writer of Hebrews makes a bold claim in chapter 8:6. “But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.” He is claiming that a New Covenant …
Review: The Potter’s Promise
The Potter's Promise: A Biblical Defense of Traditional Soteriology by Leighton Flowers My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is an outstanding resource for those who want to look into Traditionalist Soteriology. Dr. Flowers dives deep into traditionally Calvinistic passages and demonstrates some of the faulty exegesis and hermeneutical interpretations of Reformed thinkers. Not afraid …
Problem Of Pain or Pleasure?
Luke 19:16-31 (NIV) 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his …
Selling out the Holy Spirit
Acts 8:9-23New International Version (NIV) Simon the Sorcerer 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called …
The Hermeneutical Spiral – Review
The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Grant R. Osborne My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is very academic, and I compare this to Fee and Stuart's book "How to Read The Bible For All Its Worth". Fee and Stuart have a much more accessible work geared towards scholar and …
The Wandering Wesleyan 