Introduction There are two great elements to the task of rebuilding. The first is the nature of the task itself, an overwhelming task. The second is that the task must be undertaken with a handicap—constant opposition. It is not only that you have to drain the swamp, which would be difficult enough, but that you …
Ezra Nehemiah 3
Introduction We sometimes take the wrong lesson from St. Paul’s warning about endless genealogies. “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do” (1 Tim. 1:4). “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable …
Ezra Nehemiah 2
Introduction: The world is a messy place. Part of the mess for believers is learning to tell the difference between situations that call for martyrdom and situations that call for godly acquiescence. One of the more common set-ups where such wisdom is required is when pagan empires are in control. To what extent are we …
The Whore Becomes a Virgin Bride
The last person we are considering in this series of Bible stories is unique. The others we have treated primarily as individuals. We will do this with Mary Magdalene as well, but we will also spend a good amount of time considering her typological significance. So we will treat Mary, but we will also be …
Ezra Nehemiah 1
Introduction We have before the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which were probably one book originally. Moreover, it is quite possible that Chronicles/Ezra/Nehemiah was original one book. As we work through this together, it would obviously be helpful for you not only to read through these books, but also through the book of Esther, as …
The Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul has been slanderously reported as being the second founder of the Christian faith. After two thousand years, he is no doubt accustomed to the slanders by now—he was the kind of man who attracted slanders—but this particular slander has been more effective than some of the others because of the grain of …
Simon Peter
In the Scriptures, Simon Peter is always listed first in any list of the apostles that is given. He is certainly a striking figure, and no attempt to tell the story of the new covenant community would be complete without him. It is hard to imagine him as anything but a large man, but whether …
Silence is Good
A common way of sinning with the tongue is to talk a lot, aimlessly. This kind of verbal scribbling is certain to lead to tangles, problems, and difficulties. Scripture says, “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, …
Marriage As Manifest Glory 39
Introduction Well, we come at last to the conclusion of this series of messages on marriage. This may be a cause of rejoicing for some, disorientation and sadness for others, and relief for still others. But remember that this subject is not like a series of particular messages to locomotive engineers or architects. We cannot …
The Lord Jesus
We come now to the main point of all the stories we have been telling, that is to say, we have come to the story of the Lord Jesus. This is a very difficult story to tell, for at least two reasons. First, no storyteller or preacher is really sufficient for the task. The apostle …