Category Archives: bible

NT Doctrine — 1 Thessalonians 4-5

Posted on April 20, 2024 by ehurst

The last two chapters of Colossians, and the first three chapters of this letter are either encouragement or personal matters between Paul and readers. We note in passing that this was likely the first apostolic epistle of Paul’s career. He … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Colossians 2

Posted on April 13, 2024 by ehurst

There’s a lot going on in this chapter. Translators note that this passage is loaded with ambiguous phrases, and too many English renderings follow a path that tends to obscure the depth of what Paul is saying. As previously noted, … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Colossians 1

Posted on April 6, 2024 by ehurst

Colossae was nestled in the Lycus Valley, running between two high mountain ranges, not too far from Laodicea. Paul passed through this area because the main highway ran through both, but didn’t preach in any of the cities. One of … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Resurrection Review

Posted on March 30, 2024 by ehurst

This is a review of a previous lesson on the Resurrection. John 20 (Parallels: Matthew 27, Mark 16 and Luke 24) Jesus lay in the tomb. As the Lamb, He died on the day of Passover, a High Sabbath. Then, … Continue reading →

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Just Use It

Posted on March 29, 2024 by ehurst

You may have heard of the Halo video game franchise. It’s quite entertaining, up to a point. It’s also anti-Christian. A major premise of the game is mocking faith in Eternity and pushing the dire necessity of advancing humanity against … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Philippians

Posted on March 23, 2024 by ehurst

Paul’s letter to Philippi was largely a personal note. The church had sent Epaphroditus to Paul in his Roman house arrest during the first trial with a gift and asking after his welfare. While he was there, Epaphroditus got sick … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Ephesians 5-6

Posted on March 16, 2024 by ehurst

The whole point of this two-volume series is to highlight the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. One thing we notice is that the ritual conduct under Moses was far more stringent than the broader code of conduct. This … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Ephesians 4

Posted on March 9, 2024 by ehurst

The primary doctrine in this chapter remains consistent with the rest of the whole letter. Once again, Paul paints an image of Christian unity borrowing from bits and pieces of what his readers had experienced in human politics. First is … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Ephesians 3

Posted on March 2, 2024 by ehurst

This is by necessity a rather short lesson. The primary subject of this chapter is some of Paul’s personal background and a prayer on the readers’ behalf, but very little doctrine. The doctrinal issue here is very difficult for most … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Ephesians 2

Posted on February 24, 2024 by ehurst

The theme continues to be uniting Hebrew and Gentile Christians. The previous chapter emphasized our unity as a single nation rooted in Heaven, pointing out how the Lord designed it on three levels: cosmic, global and individual. Here, the emphasis … Continue reading →

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