James 2
James 2 - Not surprisingly, James fires out more questions for believers here in Chapter 2. Among them are several targeting unfair treatment based on stereotypes. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be ...
John 18
John 18 - "While human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed in order to change people, in the politics of the Kingdom it is people who must be changed in order to ...
John 12
John 12 - Here in John 12, we are once again drawn to how Jesus' words and actions were in complete obedience to God and how He functioned as an extension of His Father in Heaven. We ...
John 11
John 11 - So much irony! The reasoning of the religious leaders is astounding. "Let's kill the man who is actively doing mighty works in the Name of God..." "Let's kill the man who has just proven ...
John 10
John 10 - The entire book of John has drawn us into the reality that Jesus is His own person, yet, is one with God. We have also witnessed the Jewish leaders trying to catch Jesus in ...
John 8
John 8 - It would not be a stretch to call this the "chapter of traps." After trying to get Jesus to condemn a woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees continue their verbal trickery. I Am The ...
John 5
John 5 - Bearing witness to yourself is not reliable in court. Jesus didn't need to provide witnesses for His authority, but in His grace, He would. John the Baptist John's lamp testified to Jesus but he ...
John 2
John 2 - Jesus cleansed the temple twice. The first, recorded here in John 2, was early in His ministry. The second is recorded by the other gospel accounts during passion week. Jews and proselytes from all ...
Esther 8
Esther 8 - Throughout the book of Esther, I have been drawing lines connecting Haman with Satan and this chapter is no different. Haman was defeated and eliminated but the King's decree still stood over the Jewish ...
Esther 1
Esther 1 - At this point in Israel's history, Ezra has just returned from the exile to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The Persian Empire is firmly in control and its territory extends from India to Ethiopia ...
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12 - Dear Weary Christ-Follower, Read Hebrews 12:3-17 Which is worse, the weight of sin or the discipline of Jesus? It's an interesting question to ponder considering we often complain about our lot in life. The ...
Hebrews 2
Hebrews 2 - For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10 HCSB It was ...
Malachi 2
Malachi 2 - God starts with the priests and then works His way down to marriage and divorce in this heavy-handed chapter. Rather than speak to the details, I want to look at the bigger picture. We ...
Zechariah 12
Zechariah 12 - Zechariah's name means "The Lord Remembers" and in this chapter, we get a striking image of God remembering His Jewish people. Theology is not the most important thing here, but it does determine what ...
Zechariah 10
Zechariah 10 - What happens when we don't receive an answer from God as soon as we like? We turn to false gods and idols. We want to feel comfort, so instead of waiting on God we ...
Zechariah 9
Zechariah 9 - Before Jesus was Savior, He was King. But He was not a king as you or I know one. Jesus ushered in a different kind of Kingdom. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, ...
Zechariah 2
Zechariah 2 - There is so much we could unpack in this short chapter of only 13 verses. It is rich with symbolism and prophecy. But I want to draw your focus to one section that stuck ...
Zephaniah 1
Zephaniah 1 - The twelve minor prophets are divided into two categories based on the time period of their ministry. Either they came before the Babylonian exile (pre-exilic) or after it (post-exilic). "Zephaniah is the last of ...
Haggai 2
Haggai 2 - The main event of Haggai is the rebuilding of the temple, however, there are other several other storylines that run alongside this narrative. One such example is verse 13 where Haggai offers two opposing ...
Micah 7
Micah 7 - Consider the similarities of Micah's world and our world today... There is undesirable fruit all around Everyone is scheming, waiting for a chance to do evil People in authority take bribes as money trumps ...
Amos 5
Amos 5 - The oppression of the poor. Check. The establishment of structures built on immoral actions. Check. The acceptance of bribes in order to betray the less fortunate. Check. We should be wary of reading these ...
Amos 2
Amos 2 - Amos 1 and 2 are really meant to be read and analyzed together as they are a review of the judgements from God. In Amos 2, however, we see God turn his attention away ...
Daniel 8
Daniel 8 - This chapter is one of the most controversial and heavily debated chapters in all the Bible. However, there is still solid truth we can take away. First, we must realize that even the interpreter ...
Daniel 7
Daniel 7 - The prophetic part of Daniel starts here with Chapter 7. It is unlikely that we can know exactly what is being talked about here, or even the timing of these events. Scholars have differed ...
2 Corinthians 13
2 Corinthians 13 - When Paul first visited Corinth and established the church, he stayed a year and six months. Most scholars believe his second visit was between the two letters of 1 and 2 Corinthians and ...
2 Corinthians 10
2 Corinthians 10 - Most likely, Paul was dealing with a false teacher or many false teachers who had infiltrated the Corinthian church and discredited his ministry and teaching. He pivots here in chapter 10 to bring ...
1 Corinthians 14
1 Corinthians 14 - Gifts that are meant to edify the body, share with the body. Gifts that are meant to edify you personally, keep them personal. Paul's stance on tongues is clear. If there is no ...
1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11 - 1 Corinthians 11 opens up a can of worms in our culture today. At the very least, many of Paul's words here have been challenged. In some cases, they have been called sexist ...
1 Corinthians 6
1 Corinthians 6 - Paul's had some specific issues with the Corinthians in regard to legal matters. First and foremost, the disputes in question were between two believers. Paul is working under the assumption that Jesus has ...
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1 - Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother... 1 Corinthians 1:1 NASB In Acts 18 Sosthenes was the leader of the Jewish synagogue who ...
Psalm 135
Psalm 135 - Our God is praise worthy in every age and season. No matter the circumstances, God is with us and for us. Often, it is hard to understand and believe this when we look around ...
Psalm 133
Psalm 133 - Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out over us. Like a priest who would be anointed by a fine oil, we as believers have been abundantly blessed by the Holy Spirit. This ...
Psalm 132
Psalm 132 - This psalm is a prayer that pleads with God to remember His covenant. Some ascribe it to Solomon while others believe it may have been written by another descendant of David. Psalms 132:11 HCSB ...
Psalm 128
Psalm 128 - "I'm so blessed." We hear this phrase often in our culture. It's not that I don't believe that it's a genuine feeling. I do. However, sometimes I wonder what exactly it means to be ...
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 - The Lord is our protector. He is our strength and our refuge. He fights our battles. He does not sleep or slumber. He sees and knows all. He will protect His children now and ...
Psalm 110
Psalm 110 - Psalm 110 might be quoted more frequently in the NT than any other Psalm. The Lord declared to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet'? Matthew ...
Psalm 102
Psalm 102 - "The Psalm has been attributed to Daniel, to Jeremiah, to Nehemiah, or to some of the other prophets who flourished during the time of the captivity. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews ...
Psalm 101
Psalm 101 - "I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house." Psalms 101:2 HCSB Christians are often singled out ...
Psalm 96
Psalm 96 - "Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell ...
Psalm 93
Psalm 93 - Psalm 93 is a beautiful royal psalm. It is part of a collection of psalms that hail God as King and describe His universal reign over all things. It is interesting to discover that ...
Psalm 82
Psalm 82 - Psalm 81 is one of those chapters that is difficult to understand without digging deeper into the context. At a glance, it may seem confusing that God refers to magistrates, judges, and other people ...
Psalm 78
Psalm 78 - Coming off the heels of Psalm 77 where we are to remember God's faithfulness, we now move into the action steps behind those memories. At the end of Psalm 77, I wrote that we ...
Psalm 74
Psalm 74 - He purchased. He redeemed. He dwelt. The invasion by their enemies has devastated the people of Israel and Judah. They know that these enemies are a manifestation of His punishment for their waywardness. However, ...
Psalm 72
Psalm 72 - Psalm 72 is considered a royal psalm and coronation hymn. It presents the job description of the King in song form. Modern-day readers are tempted to gloss over the details and view the writing ...
Psalm 58
Psalm 58 - Verses 1-6We read a familiar description of those in leadership who deceive others. Consider the description. They are in a position of authority where they can judge others. Their hearts are pure evil. They ...
Psalm 55
Psalm 55 - Suffering often produces an emotional rollercoaster. We are emotional beings who can swing violently from low to high and back to low all within the same hour. We don't like to admit it though. ...
Psalm 54
Psalm 54 - Though the opening verses do not indicate the specifics of the trouble at hand, the plea is for action. The desire of the psalmist is for God to do something. Verses one and two ...
Psalm 35
Psalm 35 - Years ago, while working for Youth for Christ, my wife and I become close friends with a young teenage girl. She was a paradox of sorts because her appearance was "tough as nails" but ...
Psalm 26
Psalm 26 - The key to Psalm 26, as Hank has written, is the second verse. If you read through the Psalm again and remove verse 2, it sounds completely vain and self-centered. This is an important ...
Psalm 21
Psalm 21 - There is a theme of kingship within this psalm. It's likely it was originally composed for recital during the ceremony of enthronement for a king. In his commentary titled "Psalms," James Luther Mays writes, ...
Psalm 12
Psalm 12 - Lies. Deception. Delusion. We all do it. We use coping mechanisms to help us deal with reality. In many ways, it's a strategy to deny reality. The problem with this is that we begin ...
Psalm 8
Psalm 8 - "Have you never read..." The words pierced like a dagger. It was a direct challenge to the authority and comprehension of these so-called representatives of God. The Pharisees hated Jesus. They made it their ...
Mark 14
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying "This is my body." He poured the wine saying "This is my blood." Essentially, He was ...
Mark 13
Mark 13 - No one knows the day or hour. This is a familiar passage, yet, there is one question that I've always wondered. If Jesus was both God and man, then why didn't He know the ...
Mark 12
Mark 12 - Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight the faith of the poor widow. In this story, the NASB translation reads... A poor widow came ...
Mark 11
Mark 11 - The Pharisees were reeling. Jesus had just cleansed the Temple and done it with supreme authority. Aside from that one event, however, they were most likely trying to figure out who this man really ...
Mark 5
Mark 5 - I want to make a few quick points about the demon-possessed man and then move to the woman who touched Jesus. We read several striking characteristics about this demon-possessed man. This man had been ...
Mark 3
Mark 3 - The healings of Jesus are well-documented and factual. Interestingly, the Jews did not dispute the healing power of Jesus, but rather, the source of that power. The Greeks did not dispute the healings either, ...
Mark 1
Mark 1 - It's fascinating to identify the different writing styles of the Gospel authors. Matthew began with genealogy. His mission was to write to the Jews and prove that Jesus was the heir to David's throne. ...
Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32 - Look at all the names Moses ascribed to God in one song! the Rock: Deu 31:4; Deu 31:15; Deu 31:18; Deu 31:30Jehovah: Deu 31:6Father: Deu 31:6the Most High: Deu 31:8God: Deu 31:3Lord: Deu 31:3 ...
Deuteronomy 23
Deuteronomy 23 - As we've written many times in Deuteronomy, these laws can seem foreign to us. In some ways, they prescribe almost an ascetic type of lifestyle. Asceticism is defined as a lifestyle characterized by abstinence ...
Deuteronomy 18
Deuteronomy 18 - "God said..." It's a phrase that has permeated our Christian culture. It's a statement that flies out of people's mouths easily and routinely. Reading it in Christian books and magazines and hearing it in ...
Deuteronomy 16
Deuteronomy 16 - Favoritism. Bribes. Bias. Corruption. Does this not describe our current political climate? God gave specific laws regarding the judges that He Himself would appoint for Israel. First, there would be impartiality. Everyone would be ...
Deuteronomy 13
Deuteronomy 13 - When did self-appointed titles become a "thing" in the church? When did "a word" become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people's heads become full-blown prophecies directly from the mouth of ...
Deuteronomy 10
Deuteronomy 10 - "Now, people of Israel, listen to what the LORD your God demands of you: Worship the LORD and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, 13 and obey ...
Deuteronomy 2
Deuteronomy 2 - It is a unique time in Israel's history. Moses continues to lead and teach the people even though *spoiler alert* he will die before making it to the Promised Land. This time of transition ...
Ecclesiastes 8
Ecclesiastes 8 - For the king's word is authoritative, and who can say to him, "What are you doing?" Ecclesiastes 8:4 HCSB How many today question God? How many today say to Him, "What are you doing?" ...
Numbers 22
Numbers 22 - In 1967, archeaologists uncovered an inscription dating back to the eighth-century B.C. in the city of Jordan (modern-day Moab). The inscription was a story which revealed visions of seer who channeled information from dead ...
Numbers 18
Numbers 18 - As mentioned in previous chapters, the Levites were given special authority and privileges among the spiritual duties assigned by God. However, they were not given the same authority as priests. This is the main ...
Numbers 17
Numbers 17 - But the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against ...
Numbers 16
Numbers 16 - Numbers 16 is part of a much bigger picture of Moses' leadership of Israel. This rollercoaster of leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land had many twists and turns. If we go all the ...
Numbers 11
Numbers 11 - Moses needed help, and God responded. The Lord commanded the gathering of 70 men from the elders of Israel, and Moses began assembling his team. The word elder means "aged" or "old." Hebrew tradition ...
Numbers 9
Numbers 9 - What an amazing scene! Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire ...
Numbers 3
Numbers 3 - We understand the substitutionary atonement of Jesus very well. He died so that we could live. Here in Numbers 3, we find that God was consistent with this theme of substitution dating back to ...
Luke 23
Luke 23 Commentary by Brad Boyles He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He ...
Luke 21
Luke 21 - Some speculate Jesus' warnings were to be interpreted for the people of that time and others speculate they are future events. We know that the apostles would suffer incredible persecution after Jesus resurrected and ...
Luke 20
Luke 20 - Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well." 40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything. Luke 20:39-40 NASB The so-called “experts” of the ...
Luke 11
Luke 11 - Packed into three verses here in the middle of the chapter is an unbelievable amount of depth and theology. Many of us have heard or read these verses. "When the unclean spirit goes out ...
Luke 10
Luke 10 - The kingdom of God was sent out and manifest itself through the power of the 72 that Christ chose. What was their purpose? "Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is ...
Luke 9
Luke 9 Commentary by Brad Boyles Feeding of the 5,000 This sign/miracle of feeding the 5,000 is recorded in all 4 Gospels. Matthew 14:21 specifies 5,000 males, and further emphasizes the point by adding, “Besides women and children.” Many Bible ...
Luke 8
Luke 8 Commentary by Brad Boyles Starting in verse 26 we see an amazing story of casting out a legion of demons. The demons know who Jesus is, and are frightened by Him. And Jesus asked him, "What is your ...
Luke 6
Luke 6 Commentary by Brad Boyles And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" 10 After looking around at ...
Luke 5
Luke 5 - But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16 NASB On the heels of being with His Father in prayer, Jesus is strengthened and empowered for divine service. In ...
Luke 4
Luke 4 - The entire chapter here in Luke 4 captures the struggle for power and authority. Jesus' temptation, obviously, was Satan's attempt at derailing Jesus by appealing to His authority and power. Jesus resists, and His ...
Luke 3
Luke 3 - The way the Holy Spirit moved in order for Jesus Christ to come into this world is really fascinating. There are so many wonderful stories in Christ’s family tree. The interesting thing is, the ...
Luke 1
Luke 1 Commentary by Brad Boyles Who made the most significant contribution to the New Testament in terms of total verses? Most would say Paul or maybe even John, but those answers would be incorrect. Who was the only non-Jewish ...
Ezekiel 27
Ezekiel 27 - What kind of future is in store for those who ferociously cling to their pride and arrogance? When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 Pride goes before ...