In John 15 Jesus makes His famous speech about “I am the vine; you are the branches,” and when we studied the passage in Bible study at my church about a month ago the metaphor really stuck in my head as… fearsome. The passage (vv 1-8, hcsb): “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every…
The concept of believers as “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5) as I have long understood it is very much the object of derision and scorn. “The Bible isn’t clear!” Whether it’s formal ordination by an approved apostolic body or a Th. D. and peer-reviewed papers, the ability of the simple Christian to understand Scripture effectively is in serious question.…
I just finished my study of the book of Judges, and, wow, so many thoughts. The stories that have stuck out to me: Deborah and Barak. Gideon. Abimelech. Jephthah. Samson, Micah, Gibeah. With a few others stuck in. Every single story is about the failure of people to do the right thing. First we have Barak (Judges 4), who ought…