Introduction Judith is work of religious fiction without the pretense of recounting actual history. The story opens with a fictionalized Nebuchadnezzar making war on an invented King of the Medes, Arphaxad. The first hearers of Judith would catch this, clueing them in to understand Judith for its religious value. The real Nebuchadnezzar was king of […]
John 14:23-31: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word
June 4, 2017 by
The word “Pentecost” means 50. A festival of the Old Covenant, at first, a celebration which took place every year. Now we understand why so many pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem on the day the potent Wind from eternity graced the people of God. For the Israelites, Pentecost thanked the Creator for the first harvest of […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 5: The Greek Portions of Daniel, Pt. 3
June 4, 2017 by
Earlier, we learned about the Prayer of Azariah, the Hymn of the Three Young Men, and Susanna. Today, we study Bel and the Serpent. Who or What is “Bel”? The Babylonian god, “Bel” is a variant of the word, “Baal,” which means “Lord” and is another name for the Babylonian god, Marduk. Non-biblical sources […]
Mark 16:14-20: Christ Precedes Us, Not Abandons Us
May 28, 2017 by
The Lord commissions His Apostles before returning to heaven: “Preach the gospel to all creation.” Next, He adds the promise of Baptism. Left out of our Lord’s final words are commands to clothe, shelter, or mend broken marriages. Though noble, helpful, and part of what we should be doing, such work is always secondary. For […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 4: The Greek Portions of Daniel, Pt. 2
May 27, 2017 by
Last week, we looked at the Prayer of Azariah and the Hymn of the Three Young Men, which are placed between Daniel 3:23 and 3:24. Today, we study the story of Susanna, which becomes Daniel, chapter 13. Susanna Susanna is the story of a woman, whom two “dirty old men” accused of committing adultery. […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 3: The Greek Portions of Daniel, Pt. 1
May 27, 2017 by
The Protestant edition of Daniel is written in Hebrew (1:1-2:3, 8:1-12:13) and Aramaic (2:4-7:28). The Daniel of the Septuagint is all Greek, with some portions not being a translation but with an original Greek text. These include a couple of liturgical pieces: The Prayer of Azariah and the Hymn of the Three Young Men, which […]
Numbers 21:4-9: The Snake on the Pole
May 21, 2017 by
Most Christian churches display at least one. This church is no exception. On the crest of our steeple, you’ll find one, our building’s highest point. Another is atop a wooden rod, on display, when we begin the service with a procession. Behind the altar, you’ll spot one, the size of a monument, made by carpenters […]
Isaiah 12:1-6: Drinking From the Wells of Salvation
May 18, 2017 by
With faces still wet from the mist of the Sea, the Israelites sing out, celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. So momentous the event, their tongues cannot stay silent, their melodic praise becoming the first song recorded in Scripture (Exodus 15). The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remained faithful to His pledge, not forgetting His […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 2: How We Lost the Apocrypha
May 18, 2017 by
Last week, we learned what the Scriptures were for Jesus and his Apostles: The Septuagint, the Greek-language version of the Old Testament. Jesus also affirmed this in His Scripture quotes, which favored the Septuagint and when He told the Sadducees they didn’t know the Scripture, referring to the book of Tobit (Matthew 22:29). In 397 […]
John 16:16-22: The Church as a Woman in Labor
May 18, 2017 by
The saints in the struggle, the Church on earth, is a woman in labor. The saints at rest, the Church in eternal glory, is compared to a mother whose birthing pains are past. No longer in contractions, she now beholds her baby born, her anguish long forgotten. The people of God, described as a pregnant […]
