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 suc...

This phrase has roots in the Old Testament. The book of Daniel alludes to “the abomination that makes desolate” (cf. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). 

It is generally believed that 11:31 is a reference to the...

The doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus is one of the lines of evidence establishing the Lord’s identity as the Son of God. 

The angel Gabriel said to Mary, a “virgin” (Lk. 1:27): "The holy thin...

The word “kingdom” (basileia) is a noun that generally refers to a territory over which a king rules. Three senses are prominent in the theology of the N.T. 
• Jesus uses the term to denote the rei...

Three different Greek words are rendered “hell” in the King James translation of the Bible. (a) Hades is found ten times in the Greek N.T.; nine times it is rendered “hell,” once “grave” in the KJV...

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch. The title signifies “second law.” 

Moses penned this document near the end of the era of wilderness wandering. Its design is to rehears...

The day of Pentecost was an annual Jewish festival which came fifty days (the word signifies “fiftieth”) after the Passover celebration (Lev. 23:15-21; Dt. 16:9-12). It was known also as the feast ...

This word signifies “change in substance,” and it reflects the Roman Catholic doctrine that in the communion service, when the priest pronounces the words, “this is my body” and “this is my blood,”...

Logos is the term used in the Gospel of John to describe the preincarnate Christ. “In the beginning was the Word [logos] and the Word [logos] became flesh” (Jn. 1:1, 14). Though the term logos was...

Zechariah was a companion prophet with Haggai. The latter sternly admonished the Hebrews to rid themselves of self-interest and to complete the work on the temple during the post-Babylonian captivi...

This phrase appears in Galatians 4:4, where Paul describes Christ’s birth and earthly ministry as occurring when “the fulness of time” had arrived. The expression highlights how, over the centuries...

The Greek term graphe (“writing”) comes into the English Bible (via Latin, scriptura) as “scripture.” The word almost always has the definite article “the scriptures.” The expression may refer to a...

The Greek word skene (rendered “tabernacle”) means a “tent.” (a) The tabernacle of Moses’ day was a tent of worship, designed by God, and provided for the children of Israel as they wandered in the...

The Greek word psallo is found five times in the N.T. It is rendered by the English terms “sing” (Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Jas. 5:13), and “make melody” (Eph. 5:19). In the era of classical Greek (...

The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah. It actually is a funeral song designed to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem by the invading Babylonians (586 B.C.). The song is ...

The book of Ruth has to do with a godly Moabite woman, Ruth by name, who joined herself to the Hebrew people during the days of the judges. She was a widow who married an Israelite by the name of B...

The term “heaven” is used in different ways in the Bible.

The expression may refer to the atmospheric region just above the earth where the birds fly, the rain forms, and the wind blows (Gen. 1:10...

The third book of the Hebrew Pentateuch is Leviticus, the title of which suggests “that which pertains to the tribe of Levi.” This Mosaic document provides information regarding the sacrifices, the...

Malachi is the last prophet of the O.T. record. In the final era of O.T. history (mid to late fifth century B.C.), the people of God fell into a state of spiritual lethargy. They were insensitive, ...

The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven documents: (a) They are classified as “scripture,” a term suggesting a divine writing (1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Pet. 3:16). (b) Eight known writers — Matthe...