Category Archives: bible

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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In Christ

Posted on February 18, 2024 by ehurst

Most people choke on Ephesians 1:3-14. It’s very dense, and frankly not good writing. People either gloss over it or get bogged down in the precise meaning of the grammar. One of the biggest issues for debate is trying to … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Ephesians 1

Posted on February 17, 2024 by ehurst

The final chapter of Galatians was encouragement but virtually no doctrine. We move on to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as a letter to be shared across Asia Minor. Thus, there are no personal notes to anyone specifically by name. … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Galatians 5

Posted on February 10, 2024 by ehurst

In the previous chapter, Paul pointed out that we should not seek to place ourselves under the guardianship of the Law. Christ died on the Cross to claim His inheritance, and that’s you and I. He ended the Law and … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Galatians 4

Posted on February 3, 2024 by ehurst

Paul reiterates the imagery of preservation of an estate until the heir reaches the appointed time and condition of bequest. The emphasis is that all of God’s Elect, Jew and Gentile, were the estate, and Christ was the heir. But … Continue reading →

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NT Doctrine — Galatians 3

Posted on January 27, 2024 by ehurst

Notice a fundamental truth here: Paul is saying that the Covenant of Christ is not a continuation of Moses, but a continuation of the Covenant of Abraham. The Covenant of Abraham was reborn in Christ; He wasn’t merely the fulfillment … Continue reading →

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