Have you ever wondered why some people refuse to swear in court? So when swearing in witnesses and jurors, the court often asks someone to swear or affirm. Well, it grows out of this statement …
The Gospel of Matthew #11
When Jesus said, Don’t think I am come to destroy the law. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill it, I don’t really think Jesus’ disciples thought that was a strange thing to …
Understanding the Fall
If there is one concept that is central to Christian teaching along with creation and redemption, it is the fall of man. The concept may be integral to the Christian faith, but it often isn’t …
The Gospel of Matthew #10
You know, I think Christianity was a lot simpler before the first theologians came along. The early Christian evangelists, for example, going from town to town preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, did not …
The Gospel of Matthew #9
I believe that most people in the world want to be right. I certainly don’t know a soul who wants to be wrong, plans so that he is wrong, works so that he is wrong. …
The Gospel of Matthew #8
Imagine yourself walking down the aisle in your supermarket, filling up your basket with things from right and left, and spending all your hard-earned pay. A little further down the aisle from you is a …
The Gospel of Matthew #7
Do you believe that it was possible for Jesus to sin? Oh, I know that Jesus did not sin—that is not even a question—but was it possible for him to sin? The devil came to …
The Testimony of Four
Somewhere in the Middle East, probably near Jerusalem, an older gentleman settled himself with his writing tools and pondered how he would begin to tell his story. At one time he had been a contracted …
The Gospel of Matthew #6
John the Baptist was a very influential preacher. He was not a limousine evangelist; he did not fly into town on a jet and get picked up in a limo. He did not stay at …
The Gospel of Matthew #5
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a mere five miles from Jerusalem as the crow flies. It would have been very easy for the religious and political establishment of Jerusalem to have come down to Bethlehem, …
The Gospel of Matthew #4
Welcome back, members of the jury. Today we are continuing with the testimony of one Matthew—also known as Levi—former tax collector and later disciple and apostle of Jesus of Nazareth. I intend to support his …
The Gospel of Matthew #3
It is staggering to consider the amount of work that has gone into the scholarly study and analysis of the Bible. I mean, men will write whole chapters on one Greek word, whole books on …
What Do You Want to Believe?
What do you want to believe? You should really give that question some serious thought before you ever look at the evidence in a given case. Because what you want to believe is like a …
The Gospel of Matthew #2
I want to pose yet another mystery about the four Gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But before I can do that, we need to consider some things. We’re allowed, in studying the testimony …
The Gospel of Matthew #1
Today, I have a curious job. I want to take a book that is probably very familiar to you and make it unfamiliar. The book is the Gospel According to Matthew. It’s the first book …
Interpreting the Bible
I had a friend some time ago who loved to argue the Bible, and whenever we got to a certain point, he would say Well, the Bible says what it means and it means what …
Introduction to the New Testament #12
The Book of Acts sits in a pivotal position in the New Testament. The early Church fathers tended to speak of the New Testament in terms of Gospels and Epistles, but Acts fits in a …
Introduction to the New Testament #11
The Gospel according to John is a very special book. If you ask me to explain why, I would have a hard time telling you. It is the fourth Gospel, but some scholars think it …
Introduction to the New Testament #10
We take the reading of histories for granted, and it is hard to realize that most people haven’t got a clue what it takes to actually write a history. People call Herodotus the Father of …
Introduction to the New Testament #9
Among the earliest Christians, Mark did not command the attention of the Fathers. According to Everett Harrison, they placed Matthew and Luke in the most prominent positions. But Harrison also notes that in modern times …