Quick Devotional from Ephesians 4:3 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading a few weeks ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is Ephesians 2:4. Here’s my translation:

“ELABORATION 3 σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ
Being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bondage of

τῆς εἰρήνης”
peace

Here’s some observation:

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Discussion Guide: The Ultimate Proof of Creation Chapter 10 and Conclusion

As I’m going over this with a group of guys from my church I thought the following questions might be helpful for individuals and small groups to facilitate discussions and learning based upon the apologetics’ book “Ultimate Proof of Creation” by Jason Lisle.  It is a book that teaches Presuppositional apologetics that engages apologetics at the level of worldview.  Cornelius Van Til was instrumental in beginning this form of apologetics and others have developed and applied it.

For discussion questions for previous chapters click on the following:

Introduction and Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

The questions in this post will be for chapter 10 and conclusion of the book.  Each question is followed by page numbers in parenthesis where the answer can be found.

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Resolving 22 Bible Contradictions from Jesus’ Final Week to His Ascension

This year I tried to put out more posts resolving Bible contradictions concerning the final week of Christ through His Ascension to add to the list I put out last year.  It takes some time on my part to go through them to provide exegetically sound refutations; Lord willing I will add more to this lists next year.  See my post I wrote on why refuting Bible Contradictions Takes Time.  As of Resurrection Sunday 2018 I have responded to 22 alleged Bible contradictions that took place during the final week of Jesus’ life up to His Ascension.  These posts are arranged below roughly in chronological order with additions added after last Easter labeled “NEW” in red:

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Bible Contradiction? What did Judas do with the silver?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: What did Judas do with the silver?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

He bought a field.

“Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.” (Acts 1:18)

He threw it on the ground.

“And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.”” (Matthew 27:5)

 

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Prayer Request: Study and Lesson Plan for Overseas Pastoral Training Spring 2018

I have been caught up so busy with my church ministry but I also need to be finishing up my courses to teach theology next month in an undisclosed country that is security sensitive.  Of course during the weeks I’m overseas there will be guest posts on here given my access to the internet will be limited.

Pray for my preparation.  This include not only studying for and actually making my lecture outlines but also making power point presentations.  I also need to get it done sooner too to have it sent out to be translated into the native language.  Due to language issues the text books I would like to use is limited so I also need to read one of the books for assigned reading sometime as well.

Pray for my strength and wisdom to finish everything.  Thank you so much for those who are praying!

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God’s Creation of Sea Creatures Lessons: Table of Contents

Two weeks ago we wrapped up our 5 part Home School Lesson series on God’s sea creatures for 4-5 year olds!  Next week on Wednesday we will post a new series on earth science.

I thought I also posted these lessons in a single post as a helpful table of Contents.

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Review: The Big Picture Story Bible

I know our blog has been going over some serious heavy stuff concerning Bible difficulties, alleged contradictions and Messianic prophecies the last few days.  Here’s a review of a Children’s book Bible.

David R. Helm. The Big Picture Story Bible.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, September 17th 2004.  456 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

This is a children’s picture Bible published by Crossway.  The publisher stated that this book is for ages four and up but my three year old also enjoyed it too when I read it to all my kids.  It is a massive book, coming in at 456 pages but don’t worry as it is still a children’s book and my family went through this and found that the book has a good pace for our evening reading.  So the 456 pages is good if you are looking for something to go over with children ages three to six year old in terms of regular daily read.  I love how there are many pictures in the book.  Also while this book is big coming in with a dimension of 9 x 1.1 x 9 inches and weighing 3.6 pounds nevertheless I enjoyed it size so the kids can enjoy the book more especially if you are reading to multiple kids at once.

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Bible Contradiction? Whom did the women see at the tomb?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Whom did the women see at the tomb?  The question of course is about the tomb of Jesus on the day He resurrected.

Here are the four answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

An angel

“And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.” (Matthew 28:2)

A young man

“Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.” (Mark 16:5)

Two men

“While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;” (Luke 24:4)

Two angels

“and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.” (John 20:12)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Bible Contradiction? Who bought the potter’s field?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who bought the potter’s field?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

The chief priests bought the potter’s field.

“The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.”” (Matthew 27:6)

Judas bought the potter’s field.

“Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.” (Acts 1:18)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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This Palm Sunday Determine to Study Messianic Psalms

It’s Palm Sunday today.  This is observed by some Christians to recall Jesus’ final week before His crucifixion and resurrection.  The final week of Jesus’ life is indeed amazing.  It changed history.

For this Palm Sunday why won’t you consider immersing yourself in knowing the Messianic prophecies in the Bible?  Check out our “Messianic Psalms: 4 Messages” and listen to them with your Bibles handy.  It’s a worthwhile endeavor for this week.

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Review: The Soldier Who Killed A King

I want to thank the author David Kits for sending this book as a gift to me during Christmas.  I am very thankful that I got to read this book.  I was much delayed writing a post for today as I was finishing this incredible book which I highly recommend.

David Kitz. The Soldier Who Killed A King.  Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, July 25th 2017. 288 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

I normally don’t read fiction (besides comics) but I made exception for this book and I’m glad I did.  This is a powerful retelling of the last week of Jesus.  It is narrated in the first person by the centurion who confessed that Jesus is the Son of God at the crucifixion in Matthew 27:54.  The author gave the centurion the fictional name of Marcus Longinus.  This story is shaped by the biblical account of the last week of Jesus.  I have previously enjoyed the author’s prose in his book on the Psalms and here in his story of the last week of Jesus’ life he takes things to the next level.  It is excellent and I’m glad David Kitz wrote this.  During one of the days I was reading this book I was in line to pick up my food to go at a restaurant.  The lady ringing me up at the cashier counter asked what I was reading and I told her what this book was about.  She didn’t feel so comfortable and I told her how I enjoyed it and the incredible work the author has done in terms of its history and how it is written.  She added “But it sounds so deep…”  She is right.  The passion of Christ is deep.  And it is sobering.  Yet it is joyful.  Joyful because we know Christ came to die on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.  Sinners such as you and I.  David Kitz tells this story in a while that will grab your attention but also in a manner that is reverential and deep…because the subject is deep.  Of course I recommend this book but more than that I want to “recommend” and plead for people reading this review to trust in Jesus as their Savior.

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Resolving Bible Difficulty: Jephthah’s daughter

For today’s post we will tackle a Bible difficulty the Skeptic Annotated Bible mocked from Judges 11:29-40.  This is a passage on Jephthah’s foolish vow that resulted in harm against his daughter.

Here’s what the Skeptic Annotated Bible have to say:

When “the spirit of the Lord” comes upon Jephthah, he makes a deal with God: If God will help him kill the Ammonites, then he (Jephthah) will offer to God as a burnt offering whatever comes out of his house to greet him. God keeps his end of the deal by providing Jephthah with “a very great slaughter.” But when Jephthah returns, his nameless daughter comes out to greet him (who’d he expect, his wife?). Well, a deal’s a deal, so he delivers her to God as a burnt offering — after letting her spend a couple of months going up and down on the mountains bewailing her virginity.

Here’s the actual Bible passage:

²⁹ Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.³⁰ Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, ³¹ then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” ³² So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord gave them into his hand. ³³ He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer ^[j]to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.

³⁴ When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter.³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have ^[k]given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”³⁶ So she said to him, “My father, you have ^[l]given your word to the Lord; do to me ^[m]as you have said, since the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” ³⁷ She said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may ^[n]go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions.”³⁸ Then he said, “Go.” So he sent her away for two months; and she left with her companions, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. ³⁹ At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her according to the vow which he had made; and she ^[o]had no relations with a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel, ⁴⁰ that the daughters of Israel went yearly to ^[p]commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year. (Judges 11:29-40)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look:

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Discussion Guide: The Ultimate Proof of Creation Chapter 9

As I’m going over this with a group of guys from my church I thought the following questions might be helpful for individuals and small groups to facilitate discussions and learning based upon the apologetics’ book “Ultimate Proof of Creation” by Jason Lisle.  It is a book that teaches Presuppositional apologetics that engages apologetics at the level of worldview.  Cornelius Van Til was instrumental in beginning this form of apologetics and others have developed and applied it.

For discussion questions for previous chapters click on the following:

Introduction and Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

The questions in this post will be for chapter 8 of the book.  Each question is followed by page numbers in parenthesis where the answer can be found.

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Presuppositional Apologetics’ Links: Third Week of March 2018

Here are links related to Presuppositional apologetics’ gathered from March 15th-21st, 2018.  Enjoy!

1.) Reasons Christianity Alone is True

2.) Why the University of Miami’s Chair for Atheism Confirms the Existence of God

3.) Why Apologists Should Read Biblical Counseling Books

4.) No, We Do Not Need to Own Hitler

5.) Mormonism: Real Christianity?

6.) How to Honor Christ in our Apologetics

7.) Carrier’s allegorical method

8.) Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: The Turning Point in Truth – Part 2

 

Missed the last round up?  Check out the re-blogged post from a friend OR that of Another REBLOG HERE

 

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Quick Examples of how Biblical Geography and Atlas are Helpful

 

I saw someone on social media ask about examples of how using a Bible atlas is helpful.  I thought I give some quick examples.  I think knowledge of biblical geography is helpful and generally makes things “become alive” for Bible expositors and apologists.  Here are some specific examples:

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