Paul begins a defense of his apostleship and teaching. Apparently the false teachers have not only questioned his status as an apostle but have cast doubt on the origins of his teaching. They have said he is just a weak imitation of the Jerusalem apostles – Peter, James, John – and that his gospel message […]
Paul gets right to the point. The Galatians are in danger of leaving the faith and falling into apostasy. They have accepted a different teaching and Paul cannot believe it. He has no time for further introduction or for asking after their general welfare. He wants to make them understand their eternity is at stake. […]
One of the great things about studying the life of David is seeing his extreme humanness. He’s a man after God’s own heart but he’s also a man who sometimes forgets that as he follows his own. Depending on the chapter, the reader of II Samuel sees David at his best and worst. In our […]
My wife reads through the Bible annually. She selects a reading plan every January 1 and goes through the whole Bible – has done it for years. It’s something she’s committed to and feels very strongly about (and something she convinced me to start too – I’m on my third year). When I say she […]
David’s life can be split neatly into two parts: his life as told in I Samuel as the up and coming warrior, outlaw and leader of men, and his life as told in II Samuel as King of Israel. His life as King can then be split into another two parts: his life before Bathsheba […]
Nothing prepares us for the story in II Samuel 11. In the chapters leading up to it, there is no mention of David starting to wane in his devotion to the Lord or of him becoming enamored with the power and prestige of being a successful and beloved king. Most everything in David’s story, as […]
It is easy to dismiss the events of II Samuel 6 as Old Testament stories of a capricious God that have little meaning for today. We can take the approach that they tell of a different era and a different God so we can just ignore them. The ruthless God of vengeance and wrath seen […]
