Category Archives: New Testament Studies

A Brief Look at Election and Foreknowledge

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1 Peter 1:1-2  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Peter addresses his first epistle to the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”.  There is a long debate over the relationship with God’s sovereign election and mankind’s free will.  A related discussion is the aspect of “foreknowledge” as helping reconcile the two.  The argument goes like this: God looked into the future and saw who would believe on Jesus as savior.  He then elected those persons to salvation.  This is an valiant attempt to bring election and free will together, but it fails under closer scrutiny.  Here’s why. Continue reading →

Mankind – The Sixth Day – Part 2

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At the pinnacle of God’s creation is mankind.  Humans are exclusive among all other creatures in that they are created in the image and likeness of God.

Genesis 1:26-28  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

There has been much debate over what the “image” and “likeness” of God are.  Image has to do with resemblance and likeness has to do with similar traits.  Neither should be understood as relating to physical characteristics because God in His essence is spirit. (John 4:24)  Rather, mental and spiritual attributes are likely the meaning. Continue reading →

Let There Be Light

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God created light on the first day.

Genesis 1:2-5  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.  5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

God created the basic physical existence of the universe in Genesis 1:1.  Now He sets His focus on the Earth.

First, although created, it was not completed.  That’s why it was formless and void, meaning incomplete and empty. Continue reading →

In the Beginning

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I’m starting a Bible study on the book of Genesis, so I’m going to post some thoughts as I make my way through the book.

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

First, there was a beginning to everything.  Scientists are still debating this, although it appears that most are leaning toward there being a beginning.  Regardless, the One who was there provides a detailed record of what happened.  There was a beginning. Continue reading →

The End of Christian Freedom in the U.S.?

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With the recent Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage (marriage equality), there have been dire warnings from numerous sources heralding the negative effects of this landmark decision.  Todd Starnes has outlined one in this opinion piece: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/08/11/chaplains-banned-from-preaching-that-homosexuality-is-sin.html.

Essentially, a Christian chaplain in Kentucky was told he could no longer minister to juvenile inmates because he refused to “sign a state-mandated document promising to never tell inmates that homosexuality is ‘sinful’”.  Although the final outcome will be decided in court, this is just one example of Christians being discriminated against for not toeing the the line of political correctness. Continue reading →