There are some similarities between the pretribulational rapture and post-tribulational gathering of the saints. For instance, trumpets are sounded (pre: 1 Cor 15:52; post: Matt 24:31;), and a resurrection takes place (pre: 1 Thess 4:16; post: Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; Rev 20:5). Despite these similarities, however, there a number of differences between these two events,… Continue Reading
As with my last post, I realize that not everyone studies their Bibles and comes to a premillennial and pretribulational understanding of end times. However, my own study has led to such conclusions, which is true of my church, and here are some notes from my study this past couple of weeks. The chronology below… Continue Reading
I realize that not everyone shares my conviction of a premillennial and pretribulational understanding of what will take place in the future. I do, as does my church, and we have been working through the Olivet Discourse in Mark 13. For any curious readers, I would encourage being a Berean and looking up the verses… Continue Reading
Mark 13:11 promises that followers of Jesus will be given words by the Spirit to speak when they stand before civil and religious authorities in the context of persecution. Below is but a brief theological explanation as to why this promise is not for us today but for those in the Tribulation, a time of… Continue Reading
From Mark itself and no cross-references, here are my own notes in breaking apart and understanding Mark 13 as a whole. Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:1–2), provoking two questions by four of the disciples about the timing of the final judgment: “when will these things be, and what will be the… Continue Reading
Charles Hodge, a systematic theologian from days gone by, defined the phrase the means of grace in this way: “The phrase is intended to indicate those institutions which God has ordained to be the ordinary channels of grace, i.e., of the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit, to the souls of men.”1 Because grace is… Continue Reading
In Mark 12:28–34, Jesus points out the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Here are some simple thoughts on how to give all of one’s heart, soul, and strength as it concerns the fellowship and ministry of a church, the people… Continue Reading
Jesus stated of two commandments, “There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31): “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30). Just… Continue Reading
Paul met some disciples in Ephesus and learned that they had not heard of the Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost and that they were baptized into the baptism of John, i.e., John the Baptist (Acts 19:1–3). Paul consequently baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, and similar to what took place in Acts 2,… Continue Reading
The first question concerns Jesus’ whereabouts related to the healing of blindness in Matthew 20:29–34, Mark 10:46–52, and Luke 18:35–43. In Mark 10:46, Jesus enters and then leaves Jericho: “And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho…” (Mark 10:46). Matthew’s parallel only speaks of Jesus’ leaving: “as they went out of Jericho”… Continue Reading
A couple of Sundays ago our church closed with a hymn I wrote as a response to the text we studied that morning. The passage below is Mark 10:17–31, and the hymn text is given thereafter. — Mark 10:17–31 (ESV) 17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt… Continue Reading
Each gospel records one instance in which Jesus was beaten just before His crucifixion, but it seems that a comparison of these accounts indicates that Jesus was beaten more than once. In trying to sort out the details, it is helpful to remember that a beating by the Romans could vary in intensity, and three… Continue Reading
Our church has been recently going through the end of Mark 9. Jesus teaches us to receive His people, whatever their social standing may be (Mark 9:37). We are not stop others from serving Him even though their context is different from our own (9:39–41), and we greatly sin if we reject other believers and… Continue Reading
Mark 9:33–37, 42, Matthew 18:1–5, and Luke 9:46–48 give parallel accounts of Jesus’ use of a child to illustrate His teaching to the disciples. These passages differ, however, in which teaching they choose to report. We see at least four teachings from these passages. Have the faith and humility of a child (Matt 18:3–4). Speaking… Continue Reading
Our word church is comes from the older kirk (Scottish) or kirche (German), which in turn derives from the Greek adjective kuriakos, meaning “belonging to the Lord.” The Greek term directly behind our word church, however, is ekklesia, a combination of the preposition ek (“out of”) and the verb kaleō (“to call”). Ekklesia could refer… Continue Reading
In April of 1511, Martin Luther went to Wittenberg, a city of 2,000 to 2,500. Luther received his Doctor of Theology in October of the following year, but for all his accomplishments, certainty of salvation eluded his grasp. He confessed his sins as much as possible, even six hours at a time in the confessional… Continue Reading
I just finished reading Here I Stand, the biography of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton. I look forward to the day I feel the rugged embrace of Luther as two who are one in Christ, justified by faith alone. As I read one of Luther’s hymns in the final chapter of my book, I was moved to… Continue Reading
In Mark 6:4, Jesus is rejected by His listeners in Nazareth and quotes the well-known proverb: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” Notice how He specifies three groups and narrows the group each time―hometown, relatives, and household. Jesus knew what it was… Continue Reading
Last week I wrote about how pornography works. This week we look at how to reverse its effects from a biblical perspective. How to Reverse the Effects of Pornography: A Biblical Perspective As helpful as it is to understand the physiological process of how pornography works, God gave us His Word to correct and instruct… Continue Reading
Below is more or less a paper I wrote in preparing for a men’s Bible study at my church. I hope you find it helpful. Introduction Pornography is defined as “the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement,”1 and it is obvious that pornography is an epidemic in our… Continue Reading