Category Archives: bible

Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 20:20-28

Posted on August 4, 2018 by ehurst

The mother of James and John was Salome, the wife of Zebedee. Salome was the sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary. Thus, this was His closest kin apart from His mother. Yet, she came and worshiped Him as the Messiah. It … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 20:1-16

Posted on July 28, 2018 by ehurst

This parable continues the context in the previous chapter. The Pharisees resented how Jesus was inviting the poor and unfortunate peasants into His teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven. This was part of the false doctrine that possessing material wealth … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 19:16-30

Posted on July 21, 2018 by ehurst

(Note: Having made a fresh study of this passage, my explanation will be different from what I’ve published in the past.) The passage begins with precisely the question this whole series has been addressing: Who shall enter into the Eternal … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 19:3-12

Posted on July 14, 2018 by ehurst

Let’s remind ourselves that Jesus keeps calling for a return to the Covenant. What will Messiah’s reign demand of His subjects? The problem addressed here is the long and deep drift of Israel from that Covenant. The Jews no longer … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 18:21-35

Posted on July 7, 2018 by ehurst

The concept of social stability as a primary feature of shalom goes back centuries in the Ancient Near East, long before Abraham. A primary element in a ruler’s customary duty to keep that peace was to declare debt forgiveness at … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 18:15-20

Posted on June 30, 2018 by ehurst

The underlying theme has not changed: Place a high value on unreserved trust and never manipulate. Completely open honesty is the way of the Kingdom. How do you handle a genuine offense? Do you gossip and build up an undercurrent … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 18:7-14

Posted on June 23, 2018 by ehurst

Jesus began this session explaining that leadership in His Messianic court would rest on unreserved trust in Him and His teaching. He draws the picture of a disciple who is like a younger child, but draws that image from His … Continue reading →

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We Are Not Alone

Posted on June 17, 2018 by ehurst

You can decide for yourself what kind of people are behind it, but this video project seems to offer some very good stuff about the Bible. So far I’ve watched the trio of videos on the Wisdom Literature of the … Continue reading →

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Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 18:1-6

Posted on June 16, 2018 by ehurst

Up to now in Matthew’s narrative, Peter often took the lead in things because he was the eldest of the Twelve, and apparently the largest physically. But Jesus had not yet designated who would hold what position in His future … Continue reading →

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Romans 5-6 — Law versus Grace

Posted on June 11, 2018 by ehurst

I can’t promise that you’ll like my handling of this. Our difficulty is not merely that Western Christianity reads the words wrong, but that Western Christianity has a totally different set of assumptions about reality from what Paul held when … Continue reading →

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