Key teachings, parables, and stories from the Bible that provide moral lessons and insights. Focuses on the narrative and instructional content of the Bible, and the historical and cultural backdrop.
The history of Israel, as recorded in the Bible, is rather unique in world history. There were other nations that had kings and there were even other nations that had judges as leaders. But what makes Israel unique is that they passed from being a theocracy that ruled though judges, to a kingdom. The time … Read more
Jesus used a variety of teaching methods in his three-and-a-half-year ministry here on Earth. Sometimes He lectured. Other times He taught by example. Still other times He used parables or stories to teach a lesson. He wasn’t the first to use those, as we find some in the books of the Prophets. The Jewish rabbis … Read more
Many people have the idea that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different Gods. They see the God of the New Testament as a God of love, while they see the God of the Old Testament as one of wrath, killing people who don’t live up to … Read more
The Bible is full of different characters, some of whom are well known and some of whom would be called “supporting actors” in Hollywood parlance. We see a lot of different people who actually fulfilled very important roles, even though not a lot of words are written about them. How important these people are is … Read more
The life of Jesus, in the three-and-a-half years that He walked on the Earth, touched many people, some more obviously than others. His 12 disciples were probably the ones impacted the most greatly, as they walked with Him and heard His teachings much more so than others did. Many are mentioned in the gospels, who … Read more
A number of the things that God has commanded have become controversial through the years. That’s not because God or His commandments have changed; but because we have. Both believers and unbelievers alike look at things that God has commanded; and if they don’t understand the reason for that commandment, they have trouble obeying it. … Read more
Mankind is unique in this world in that we take the time to do something with the bodies of the dead. No other species on the face of the earth does the same, although there are a few species which have places where the dying go to die. We humans have either buried our dead … Read more
One of the defining characteristics of God is his omniscience, the fact that He knows everything. This is often expressed in conjunction with Him being omnipresent (able to be in all places at the same time) and omnipotent (having unlimited power). He’s God, so He’s able to do anything. But what about Jesus? He himself … Read more
Fasting, the religious act of going without food for a period of time, is a largely misunderstood area of Biblical teaching. While everyone has a pretty good idea of what fasting is, thoughts and ideas become a bit more muddled when it comes to the purpose of fasting. Different people have different ideas and fast … Read more
Believers today have a hard time accepting the idea that the Bible prohibits eating certain kinds of foods. Yet it clearly does, with the most well-known prohibition being that against eating pork of any kind. Pork isn’t the only meat that God said not to eat though; there are actually quite a few different types … Read more