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When will Jesus return?

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Does the New Testament teach that Jesus’ return was expected imminently (i.e. within the lifetime of that first generation of believers)?

Jesus taught that his disciples should be ready for his return given that he himself did not know the day or hour that it would happen (Mt 24:36).

Other New Testament passages imply that his return could happen very soon (1 Cor 1:7; Phil 4:5; Tit 2:13; James 5:8f).

But other passages teach that certain things would occur before his return, including the destruction of the Temple (Mt 24:2; see also Mt 24:30; Lk 21:11).…

Substitution: objections answered

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To the doctrine of substitution, it might be objected that:-

1. It is unnecessary, since God could forgive sinners without any additional condition or requirement. But God is not only perfect love, desiring the salvation of the sinner, but also perfect justice. The Puritans used to say that there are three things that even God cannot do: he cannot die, lie, or deny himself. And for God to simply turn a blind eye to sin would be for him to deny his own nature.…

Demons 101

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1. Their reality. Jesus knew the difference between a disease and a demon. Illness can sometimes look like demonisation (and vice-versa), but illnesses do not speak to those about to heal them!  Nor do they possess supernatural knowledge!  Just as their are good angels, so there are disobedient angels. These are demons, and their leader is Satan. The reality of demons, although not obvious to many Western Christians, is heavily documented in the literature of missions and revivals. …

2 Peter 1:4 – ‘Partakers of the divine nature’

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2 Peter 1:4 ‘[God] has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.’

This is one of the most striking claims in the whole of Scripture. Although the phraseology here is unique, the thought is echoed in Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 3:2-3; 1 Pet 5:1, and Rom 8:23,29.…

Psa 16 – The secret of happiness (sermon notes)

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Text: Psalm 16

Today (11th April, 2021) is a time of thankfulness (for the life of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh), and of hopefulness (as Covid restrictions are further eased tomorrow).

But what about happiness?  Has anyone ever discovered, or will anyone ever discover, the secret of real and lasting happiness?

I want to introduce you to someone who has discovered the secret of happiness.

Happy, though in danger, v1

v1 – ‘Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.’…

John 10:8 – “All who came before me were thieves and robbers”

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John 10:8 “All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”

Who is Jesus referring to?

1. All, without exception?  This is a very sweeping statement.  To be sure, our Lord would be very far from rejecting the witness of Moses, the prophets and John the Baptist, for whom he had the utmost respect (Jn 1:17, 19–36; 5:39, 46; 8:56).

Nevertheless, Klink maintains that the reference is rather broad:

‘There is and has never been access to God other than through Christ.

…

Can we be good without God?

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In the course of a thought-provoking article, Glen Tinder writes:

The idealism of the man-god does not, of course, bring as an immediate and obvious consequence a collapse into unrestrained nihilism. We all know many people who do not believe in God and yet are decent and admirable. Western societies, as highly secularized as they are, retain many humane features. Not even tacitly has our sole governing maxim become the one Dostoevsky thought was bound to follow the denial of the God-man: “Everything is permitted.”…

The joy of Jesus Christ

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Jesus Christ’s joy originates in God

From his intimate relationship with his Father and the Spirit Lk 10:21 pp Mt 11:25-26 See also Isa 11:2-3; Mt 3:16-17 pp Mk 1:10-11 pp Lk 3:22; Mt 12:18; Isa 42:1; Ac 2:28; Ps 16:11

From his awareness of God’s purposes Heb 12:2 See also Jn 8:29

Jesus Christ’s coming brings great joy

His birth Lk 2:10-11 See also Mt 2:10; Lk 1:44; 2:20,28-32

His resurrection and ascension Jn 16:20-22 See also Mt 28:8-9; Lk 24:40-41,50-53; Jn 20:20

Jesus Christ gives joy to his people

He brings joy to his disciples Jn 17:13 See also Isa 61:1-3; Jn 15:11; Ro 12:12; Php 1:26

Being in his presence is likened to the joy of a wedding Mt 22:1-10 See also Mt 9:14-15 pp Mk 2:18-19 pp Lk 5:33-34; Mt 25:1-10; Jn 3:29; Rev 19:7,9

To know Jesus Christ brings great joy to others Lk 15:7 See also Mt 8:11; Lk 15:10,22-24,31-32; Jn 8:56

(Dictionary of Bible Themes, Martin Manser)…

Mary a source for John’s Gospel?

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John 19:25 Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!” 19:27 He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

Garrett Ham discusses the idea that this short passage implies that Mary was an important source for the Fourth Gospel.…

‘Believing that’ and ‘believing in’

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The verb ‘to believe’ (pisteuō) occurs nearly 100 times in John’s Gospel.  For this reasons, this has sometimes been call ‘the Gospel of belief’.

Sometimes, the verb refers to facts (‘believing that’, as in Jn 9:18; 16:27) or things (Jn 4:50).  Often, it refers to a person, where it can mean ‘believe what I say’ (Jn 4:21) or ‘entrust oneself to’ (Jn 5:24).

But the most characteristic Johannine usage is ‘believe in’, where the verb pisteuō is followed by the preposition eis. …