Do you know what a ramification is? Yeah, you do; you’ve heard the word, and you’ve probably used it. It’s kind of hard to come up with a definition on the spot, though, so I will help you. My dictionary defines a ramification as “a consequence of...
Now you’ve done it! You said yes to teaching an adult Sunday School class. And you are asking yourself, “What was I thinking?” Please permit me to offer you some encouragement. You can do this by God’s strength—you are embarking on the blessed...
One cannot explore the emergence of the Protestant Reformation without talking about the contribution of Renaissance humanism—what I like to call “the tie that binds.” As one scholar declared famously, “No humanism, no Reformation.” Today...
In this excerpt adapted from The Trinity and the Bible, a new Lexham Press book on Trinitarian theology that Matthew Levering calls “richly rewarding,” Scott R. Swain explores the relationship between the Trinity in the Bible and the creeds. The...
The temptation is there—to just skim the Bible stories you’ve heard numerous times. Noah, animals, lots of water, check, got it! The path of least resistance for any Sunday school teacher is simply reciting the provided curriculum word for word...
Part 1: Academic Teaching with Support Raising One of the closest parallels to a traditional academic job is teaching in a position that requires raising financial support. These positions are generally available in schools outside North America...
Some time ago my wife and I visited a church we’d never been to before and heard a message about Old Testament promises, specifically from one paragraph in Joshua 1. Take particular note of the promises because the preacher did: This Book of the Law...
You just decided to read Paul’s epistles. Great choice! They are filled with deep theology, pertinent pastoral advice, and valuable instruction for Christian living. However, you may face some difficulties. At least Peter thought so. He...
Scrolling endlessly through photos is only fun when it’s by choice (oh hello, vacation albums). When you’re trying to find media for your church presentations, it’s just frustrating. And if you serve in a bilingual church where you need to create...
Quick, list everything you know about angels! If you’re thinking about bells, harps, and wings, your idea of angels might be more informed by Christmas movies than the Bible. That’s what Dr. Michael S. Heiser is trying to correct in Angels—now...
How should Christians relate to the Old Testament? Was the author of Hebrews against it? Adrio König explores these questions in this excerpt adapted from Christ Above All: The Book of Hebrews The basic message of Hebrews is that Christ is...
There’s an interesting passage in 1 Samuel 8 that has made me wonder: Did Israel fully understand that God was their king? It’s easy pass over, but when unpacked a bit, two verses turn out to be a hinge in this part of the story of Israel: The...
Many people start their Bible study in the Gospels. Over time, the word “gospel” has come to mean several things, such as the good news that Jesus has victory over sin and death, but in this case “Gospel” means a particular type of literature...
In college, I heard a sermon about evangelism that stuck with me. Knowing how it feels uncomfortable unleashing a gospel presentation on a stranger, the preacher offered this advice: just start by asking if the other person goes to church somewhere...
Jesus studied the books of the Old Testament from childhood (Luke 2:46). He was guided in his ministry by what he learned from them (Luke 4:4-12, 16-21). And they formed his curriculum for training the disciples (Luke 24:44). When we study the New...
While the core message of the New Testament is clear, sometimes complicated passages can make us scratch our heads—like why Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” in Mark 8:33. In Navigating Tough Texts, Murray J. Harris (author of the...
Ben White is an up-and-coming young scholar at The King’s College in New York City who has just published his study of 2 Corinthians with Mohr Siebeck. In the following interview, we talk about the premise of his book, Pain and Paradox in 2...
What happens when a scholar dies in the middle of writing a New Testament commentary? Lexham Press’s Scott Corbin talked with New Testament scholar and Regent College (Vancouver, BC) professor George Guthrie about the well-loved Osborne Commentary...
The road to learning biblical Greek and Hebrew is a journey of moving from alphabets and words to fluid reading and interpretation—and sometimes, it can feel like climbing a mountain just to reach another false summit. This post is for anyone who’s...
Oh man. They give me these topics sometimes. I’m supposed to make responsible Bible word studies “easy.” Next week: Middle East Peace Negotiations for Beginners. But no—we can do this. We can. Because the key word is “responsible,” and that mainly...
Learning how to write a funeral sermon is inevitable—if you are a preacher of the Word, you will one day have to preach a funeral. And that one day might be Tuesday. Even if you’ve heard a lecture in class on how to prepare for a funeral, it’s...
Learning biblical Greek will require some drudgery. But, as they say, “No pain, no reading the Greek New Testament.” I well remember sitting at my desk in grad school, cramming vocabulary into my head like a duck willingly stuffing its body for foie...
The Apocrypha is a closed collection of Jewish writings composed mostly during the “intertestamental” period, from as early as 300 BC to AD 100. They are deemed part of the biblical canon by many Christians, including Roman Catholics, the Eastern...
In the 66 books that constitute the word of God, Christians have every divine word they need for life and godliness. But studying the Bible can be a daunting task. Depending on what part of Scripture you are studying, there are somewhere between...
The Mishnah is a third-century Jewish collection that expands upon the legal material and language of the Old Testament and is considered to be “oral Torah.” Mishnah (the Hebrew term מִשְׁנָה means “study by repetition”) is the foundation of all...
Whether you’ve been using Logos Bible Software for weeks or decades, chances are good that you’ve used a resource Rick Brannan has worked on. He’s helped to create resources like SBL Greek New Testament, the Lexham English Septuagint, the Apostolic...
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matt 11:11 CSB) How could any person possibly be greater than the man chosen to announce the...
Preaching about suicide is not something many pastors are well-trained for. Unfortunately, as suicide has become a leading cause of death—and because September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day—weekend services that follow may be an appropriate...
Learn what online Bible dictionaries are and how to use them to radically enhance your time in the Word—plus explore some of our favorites.
In this excerpt adapted from Pastoral Leadership: For the Care of Souls, Harold Senkbeil explores the importance of leading people to the gospel verses “chasing them down”—and how it impacts ministry. *** Every group needs a leader, or else they...