Tag Archives: Bible

What Is Worship?

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When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matt 8:1–3; NKJV)

Worshipping God is a core value in Christianity and a prominent topic in the modern church. There are a lot of different ideas about what worship means and how it looks. Is worship music, or lifestyle, both, or something else? Are there any boundaries for dress, music, preaching, and other modes of expression? If so, what are they and why? If not, why not?

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The Parable of the Fig Tree

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He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” (Luke 13:6–9; NKJV)

The Parable of the Fig Tree is an important message about Israel, repentance, and receiving Jesus. But before we can understand what it means, we need to look at its context.

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Bible Word Study on ‘Hope’

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Hope is an important idea in the Bible. David’s hope in God was cause for gladness and rejoicing (Ps 16:8–11). Matthew points to Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Gentile’s hope (Matt 12:21). And Paul’s hope in God included resurrection to eternal life (Acts 24:15). The goal of this study is to better understand the overall sense of hope in the Bible as a basis for future studies.

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‘Baptism’ in the New Testament

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I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matt 3:11; NKJV)

Water baptism is an ancient and enduring Christian tradition. Through the centuries, churches have come to understand and practice baptism differently, sometimes breaking fellowship over it. What is baptism? What does the Bible say about baptism? Any biblical doctrine of baptism must begin by answering these questions. Let’s dig in.

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How to Study the Bible

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How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
(Psalm 119:103–104; NKJV)

In a recent post, I explained why studying the Bible is important. But, as I mentioned, the Bible is a large collection of books written long ago in far-away places covering a wide range of topics. Where do you start? What is the goal? How do you do it? Here is a basic introduction to how I do Bible study.

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Why Study the Bible?

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Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. (2 Timothy 2:15–17; NKJV)

Since the earliest days of Christianity, believers have not only read the Bible, but also committed themselves to studying it. Two thousand years of study have brought quite a lot of diverse and detailed viewpoints. But why study the Bible at all? Isn’t the Bible simple enough for even a child to understand? And haven’t theologians figured it all out by now? Let’s dive in.

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How to Read the Bible

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I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
(Psalm 119:15–16; NKJV)

In my last post, I explained how reading the Bible is relevant today. But the Bible is a unique collection of books written by multiple authors, on multiple continents, spanning two millennia, and including several different styles of writings. How do you read a book like that? What approaches are helpful? Where do you start? Here are some suggestions.

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Why Read the Bible?

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We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19–21; NKJV)

For nearly 2000 years, the Bible has been a source of comfort, wisdom, and hope for Christians around the world. But the modern West has grown increasingly opposed to the Bible, seeing it as outdated and irrelevant for modern life. Is the Bible relevant? Does it have any value today? Let’s take a look.

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The Deity of the Son

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But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:17–18; NKJV)

One of the most popular criticisms of the doctrine of the Trinity is that Jesus never claimed to be God. The implied conclusion is, if Jesus never claimed to be God, then He is not God. Is this claim valid? Does does it stand up when tested according to the Scriptures? Let’s get to it.

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Is the Trinity Biblical?

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The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:16–17; NKJV)

In my last post, I briefly explained the doctrine of the Trinity and answered some common questions about it. There is another very important question about the Trinity that I saved for a separate post. Is the doctrine of the Trinity biblical? Does it accurately reflect the teaching of Scripture? Let’s test it according to the Scriptures.

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