As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Cloud surfing? Harp strumming? Singing in an everlasting worship service? Melting into nothing in the celestial light of God? Is this how we will be enjoying eternity?
Some guesses about our eternal activities are nebulous, and others cross the border into the ridiculous. None of these pictures inspires me to anticipate eternity with joy. George Orwell observed,
“I want to argue from the accounts of Mary in the Gospels that she knew all the points the song reveals, and probably quite a bit more.” - Word by Word
Read the series.
Part Four of the book contains essays on “Jesus and Israel’s Future.” Michael Wilkins is well known as an expert on the Gospel of Matthew, and his piece considers how the Gospel tackles Israel’s future is portrayed in light of the negative reactions to Jesus’ ministry (e.g., 314).
“Melancholia—on a spectrum from simple sadness to profound discouragement, then crossing a moral line into despair—marks nearly every life at some point.” - Challies
“The maker of man, he was made man, so that the director of the stars might be a babe at the breast; that bread might be hungry, and the fountain thirsty; that the light might sleep, and the way be weary from a journey” - Breakpoint
“of the nineteen uses of βασιλεία in the NT epistles, fully half of them occur in contexts of church membership, most often that of church discipline.” - DBTS Blog
“A one-of-a-kind Bible used by the King James translators offers a rare glimpse of their textual decisions.” - Text & Canon
Tired of losing debates? Would you like a sure-fire way to win arguments? Consider learning from one of the best. The Pharisees had plenty of experience in theological controversy. Most notable was their interaction with the theological heresy of Christianity. Through the employment of several forms of fallacious arguments they managed to discredit Jesus and his follows and effectively “win” the debate. One prime example of their methodology is found in chapter seven of John’s Gospel.
“Mary, anticipating the peace that would follow great upheaval, rejoices in the promises of God. Her world, and ours, is filled with injustice.” - TGC
“Vanden Eykel’s theory is based on exploring the range of meanings attached to the Greek word magoi, and the use of the term in ancient narratives.” - BAR
Discussion