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Paul wrote this epistle to a church he had established on his second missionary campaign (Acts 18:1-11). It deals with problems within that local congregation, such as division (1:10ff), carnality (3:1ff), immorality (5:1ff), and litigation (6:1ff). It also responds to a series of questions sent ...
A type (tupos) is a prophetic, pictorial preview that finds its fulfillment in an antitype. Types are grounded in historical events, but they are symbolic in import. These forms of figurative prophecy are found in the Old Testament, and they point to Christ and his new covenant regime. Some examp...
Astrology is a pagan superstition that believes the heavenly bodies influence human activity. Additionally, the theory often includes the belief that human events can be predicted by "reading" the stars. This mythology is condemned in the Scriptures (Dt. 18:10-12; 2 Kgs. 23:5; Isa. 47:13-14; Jer....
In the first century, it was the Jewish custom to recline at the table during meals. Thus, the saying, "recline in the bosom," signified a place of honor near the host. The apostle John enjoyed such an honor at the Passover supper the night before Christ was crucified (cf. Jn. 13:23). The phrase ...
This term is found only a few times in the English Bible. In four cases it renders the Greek threskeia, which basically means holy service, the exercise of devotion to a transcendent Being or beings -- whether true or false. In Acts 26:5 it is used of Judaism, yet in Colossians 2:18 it refers to ...
Expediency is sometimes defined as the method by which a determined goal is achieved, regardless of the moral consequences. This is not the biblical concept of expediency. In Bible parlance, a method can be expedient only if it is lawful. In other words, if there is a generic authority for a prac...
"Heresy" takes its rise from the Greek, hairesis (nine times in the N.T.). Originally, the term meant simply "to choose" (Lev. 22:18, 21 -- LXX). Then it came to signify a choice, i.e., an opinion -- especially a destructive opinion in the N.T. (2 Pet. 2:1). The term also takes on the sense of a ...
This word derives from a Latin term meaning "unmarried." In the divine scheme of things, the ideal is for human beings to marry (Gen. 2:18; 1 Tim. 5:14). Sometimes, however, it is not advisable to marry. One such time would be during severe persecution (1 Cor. 7:26, 35, 40). Even then, however, m...
Death is a term that, in one sense or another, suggests the idea of separation. Physical death is that state of the body which is separated from the "spirit" or "soul" (Gen. 25:8; 35:18; Jas. 2:26). Death is a mystery that demands an explanation. Atheism is unable to provide one. If nature has th...
The expression "Great Commission" is commonly used to refer to a special directive Christ gave in a post-resurrection appearance before he ascended back into heaven. The "commission" is found in three complementary forms (Mt 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:47-27). A harmony of its elements reveals...
