Gospel of Mark – Theological Use of Location
In Mark and in the other synoptic Gospels, a large portion of Jesus’ ministry is spent in Galilee. The Galilean section of Mark spans 1:14-8:27 ending at the hinge of the Gospel with Peter’s confession and the journey toward the end (Jerusalem and the events that will unfold there). This is significantly different from John’s […]
Gospel of Mark – Authoritative Witness to Who Jesus Is (1:1-15)
Mark begins his Gospel by laying out a series of witnesses who testify to Jesus’ true identity: The first witness is Mark himself who tells the reader who Jesus really is, “the Son of God.” That title bookends the Gospel of Mark as it will not be said by another human in the Gospel until […]
John’s Chronology of The Woman Caught in Adultery – John 7:53-8:11
Many contend that the story of the woman caught in adultery found in John 7:53-8:11 was not written by John. Several of the earliest manuscripts do not contain it. It does not seem to fit well in the narrative of John 7-8. It is abrupt, out of place, and is sandwiched between two important symbols […]
What’s the Prophet Like Moses Got to do With It? – John 6
“After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” – John 6:14-15 There had already been a stir […]
The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry – John 1:19-3:36
This topic will span a couple of posts. As mentioned previously, John’s prologue to his gospel (1:1-19) gave us some witnesses as to who Jesus really is. His testimony comes from above (God) and is also displayed below in four ways: The creation that was made through him (1:1-5) John the Baptist (1:6-8 & 1:15) […]
Signs in the Gospel of John
One of the most important components of the Gospel of John are the presence of signs. In what appears to be John’s purpose statement for his Gospel (20:30-31) he states that the signs that have been recorded in this Gospel have been purposely put there to build our faith resulting in eternal life. N.T. Wright […]
What Does Paul refer to as “Scripture” in 2 Timothy 3:14-17
I recently received this email from a friend of mine, Matt, I have a question about 2 Timothy 3:14-17, which reads: “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the […]
Living Out Jesus’ Mission (Luke 4)
In Luke 4 we find the following story, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the […]
God’s Providence in Acts 1-10
The more experience I have as a child of God the more I come to the conclusion that there are few accidents in the world. I am not saying that God gives us that first parking spot at Wal-Mart, unless of course you get out of the car and have an encounter with someone that […]
Did God Forsake Jesus on the Cross?
It is a claim that is heard many times from many pulpits often in during the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 27:45ff says, From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?” (which means, “My God, my […]