Isaiah 9:6 — “And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor…” What was the role of “counsellor” in Old Testament times? What was the counsellor supposed to do? How did people view his advice? What is a “wonderful” counsellor? And most importantly, does this name rightfully belong to the child born in Bethlehem?
Isaiah 9:6 — “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder…” This is a famous verse speaks of the child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. It’s a verse we love to sing and meditate on. Over the next few weeks we’re going to think…
Psalm 23:5 — “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” We are very familiar with the shepherd imagery in the Twenty-Third Psalm. Its opening lines are among the most famous and most beloved words in the Bible. But perhaps what we…
I Timothy 1:5a — “Now the end of the commandment is charity…” Timothy had to deliver a difficult message to the church at Ephesus. In this verse, the Apostle Paul tells him why. The goal was love — the Ephesians’ love for God and for each other. False teaching was hindering that love and it needed…
Judges 12:1-7 — “There fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand…” 42,000 dead Israelites. Why? What happened to cause this terrible loss of life? This is the final chapter in Jephthah’s story and it’s awful. A small grievance turned into violence and violence into civil war. As we work through this story,…
I Timothy 1:3-4 — “I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus… that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine…” What was this “other doctrine” that some were teaching in the church at Ephesus? Where did it come from? And what exactly was Timothy supposed to do about it? As we consider these…
I Timothy 1:1-2 — “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour…” The opening lines of Paul’s letter are always theologically rich and the opening to I Timothy is an excellent example! Paul comments on his apostleship, his high Christology is evident, and his love and concern for Timothy shines through.…
Psalm 19:1-4 — “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge…” David was doing what we all have done. He was contemplating the sky and the heavenly bodies above. He was pondering the way the solar system operates with regularity. He was…
Luke 9:25 — “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Every generation has notable examples of what Jesus was talking about in this verse – people who seemed to have gained the whole world but lost themselves. Their massive success brought them only superficial,…
Luke 9:23-24 — “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” The twelve disciples were very keen on following Jesus in what they believed to be His imminent Messianic triumph, but their expectations were narrow and naive. Before exaltation and glory there was to be…