Patmos
(ISBE)
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Idolatry today
The word ‘idolatry’ has a remote, archaic, feel to it. Ancient people, and primitive people, are idolatrous, aren’t they. But us…? The command ‘You shall have not other Gods before me’ (Exodus 20:3) seems to be quite irrelevant.
Tom Wright, in his recent book Surprised by Scripture, shows that idolatry is alive and well in our modern, supposedly secular, society. The ancient gods are alive and kicking.
Today’s Western world hardly needs reminding about the place of Mammon, the worship of money, in our society.
Toolbox for Skillful Shepherding
| Member Condition | Spiritual Danger | Proper Response | Scriptural Support |
| Living fruitfully | Failing to Continue | Encourage; Praise | 1 Thess 4:1; Phil 2:29 |
| Lacking information | Doctrinal Ignorance | Teach; Instruct | 1 Cor 12:1; 1 Thess 4:13; Acts 18:26 |
| Needing to get moving | Laziness; Neglect | Exhort; Spur On; Urge | Heb 5:11-12; 6:12; 10:24; 2 Cor 9:4-5 |
| Suffering Trial | Discouragement | Comfort; Console | 2 Cor 1:4; 7:6 |
| Starting to Go Astray | New Sin Pattern | Warn; Correct; Admonish | Titus 3:10; 1 Cor 4:14; Luke 9:54-55; Matt 16:23 |
| Determined to Wander | Habitual Sin | Rebuke | Rev 3:18-19; Titus 1:12-13; Gal 2:11 |
| Stubborn Unrepentance | Apostasy | Excommunicate | Matt 18:17; 1 Cor 5:5 |
Andrew M.…
The morality of the Song of Songs
Historically, interpreters of the Song of Solomon have steered away from a ‘naturalistic’ interpretation towards an ‘allegorical’ approach.
There can be little doubt that this was in large measure due to what was seen as the objectionable morality of the Song, if it was to be understood primarily as a poetic account of human love. What are we to make of the Song’s rather explicit sexuality?
Tom Gledhill, in his volume in the Bible Speaks Today series (IVP), discusses this with insight and sensitivity.…
Was Paul a Catholic?
It is interesting to note that the New Perspective on Paul has flourished in the wake of the Holocaust and the onset of the ecumenical movement, and the development of closer ties between Roman Catholics and Protestants.
The link here is that the ‘old’ (Protestant, and especially Lutheran) perspective on Paul taught that both Judaism and Roman Catholicism were (and are) beset by legalism, and that Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith alone was needed to counter-act this.…
Jesus and the restoration of Israel (Rom 1:3f)
| Restoration of Israel | Romans 1:3–4: Jesus is the … |
| The good news of the restoration of Israel (Isa. 40–66) | “gospel” (Rom. 1:1–7) |
| The Davidic Messiah will restore Israel in the age to come (2 Sam. 7:12–16; Isa. 11:1, 10; Jer. 23:5–6; 30:9; 33:14–18; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25) | Davidic Messiah (compare Rom. 1:3 with Matt. 1:1–16; Luke 1:27, 32, 69; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 5:5; 22:16) |
| Israel is the Son of God (Exod. 4:22–23; Jer. 31:9; Hos. 11:1) | Son of God, the true/restored Israel (compare Rom. |
Who did Jesus think he was?
If we are to take the four Gospels pretty much at face value (i.e. not as documents whose teaching emanates largely from the faith of the early church, rather than from the Master himself) then we are faced with two complementary, and equally astonishing, sets of truths regarding Jesus’ claims concerning himself.
1. Firstly, there is everything that Jesus did not say or do.
‘Jesus never said to his disciples, Let us worship God together; Let us put our faith in God; Let us pray together; Let us trust or hope in God.…
The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew and Luke
| Matthew 6:9–13 | Luke 11:2–4 |
| Our Father in heaven | Father |
| May your name be sanctified | May your name be sanctified |
| May your kingdom come | May your kingdom come |
| May your will be done As in heaven, so also on earth |
|
| Give us today our daily bread | Give us each day our daily bread |
| Forgive us our debts | Forgive us our sins |
| As we also have forgiven our debtors | As we also forgive everyone who sins against us |
| And do not lead us into temptation | And do not lead us into temptation. |
Acts 14:8-20 – How do you do that? – sermon notes
How many people sometimes feel inadequate, discouraged or even ashamed when it comes to their efforts to share Jesus Christ with others?
Although Jesus told us to be fishers of men, we are content to be keepers of the aquarium.
A girl returning home from Sunday School complained about the class’s reaction after the day’s lesson. “We were taught to go into the world and make disciples of all nations,” she said, “but we just sat there.”…
Acts 10 – I’m not eating that! – sermon notes
This is a wonderful story of how God worked separately in the lives of Cornelius the Roman soldier, and Peter the apostle, to bring them together and grant a priceless gift to each of them. To Cornelius and his household the Lord gave the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. To Peter he gave the gift of a new understanding – a new realisation that this new life in Christ was for everyone, and not just for Jews like himself.…