What Was Paul's Thorn in the Flesh? (2 Corinthians 12)
This passage gives every indication that the thorn in Paul's flesh is still a present reality and thus represents a prolonged, sustained pain. But what was the thorn?
Articles on New Testament
266 results found
Why Did Jesus Say, “On This Rock I Will Build My Church”? (Matthew 16)
When Peter forbids the cross, he is a stumbling stone. When he proclaims Jesus as the Christ, he is a rock.
Who Is the Man of Lawlessness? (2 Thessalonians 2)
The man of lawlessness seeks to make himself the central person of worship, beyond any other religious objects or personages in his day.
Who Are the 144,000? (Revelation 7)
Who will escape the wrath of God at the final judgment? Only those who belong to God, those who are sealed by him, who are numbered by him.
What Are the Tongues of Fire? (Acts 2)
Apostolic witness, signs and wonders, and regeneration—are all entirely the doing of the Spirit. How the Spirit is working and what he is bringing about depends on the context.
10 Things You Should Know about Justification by Faith
Justification by faith does not draw attention to ourselves and our great faith but rather to Christ and God’s great work of redemption through him.
10 Key Bible Verses on Scripture
The divine origin of Scripture is the reason for its power to convert and its usefulness in training.
What Did John Mean When He Called Jesus the “Word”? (John 1)
John proclaims the Word as God, through whom the world was made, in whom is life, and who is unquenchable light.
What Ephesians Teaches Us about Our Past, Present, and Future
Scripture, just like good stories, contains truths we should tell and retell until the narrative has shaped us.
What Every Book of the New Testament Is About
Brief summaries of the New Testament books.
Why Did Jesus Curse a Fig Tree? (Matthew 21)
The cursing of the fig tree is symbolic. The prophets use the fig as a symbol of Israel in its fruitlessness.
10 Things You Should Know about Priesthood in the Bible
Gloriously, there is a lot to unpack in Hebrews, but a proper understanding of that book will assist you to understand the rest of the Bible and what it says about the priesthood.
What Does It Mean to Be Judged according to Your Works? (Revelation 20 and 21)
All the dead, whether powerful or poor, stand before God’s throne to be assessed by him.
Did Jesus Forbid Us from Taking Oaths? (Matthew 5)
Disciples must keep their word, especially when others depend on them, even if circumstances change or oath keeping brings real loss.
10 Key Bible Verses on Freedom
As Christians, we’ve been released from the power of sin and death by Jesus and his substitutionary death on the cross.
Did Jesus Descend to Hell? (Ephesians 4)
God is the Divine Warrior who ascends to his throne after defeating his enemies. Here, Christ is the victorious conqueror who ascends to his throne in heaven after defeating the spiritual forces.
Why Were Ananias and Sapphira Killed? (Acts 5)
The account of Ananias and Sapphira causes understandable trouble for readers who believe their punishment to be harsh, but we should read it in the context of the description of the believing community.
James is an intensely practical book, filled with exhortations to Christians about the way they should live their lives now that they have been given new life in Jesus.
4 Ways Paul Encourages Us to Love the Church (Even When It’s Hard)
Like it did for Paul, the truth should shape us, so that belonging to an ordinary gathering of unremarkable people becomes one of the highest joys and greatest privileges of our lives.
Stress sickens the soul. Yes, stress causes bodily disease (some estimate that 90 percent of doctor visits are stress-related), but it also causes soul disease. Stress and spirituality are mortal enemies.
What Is the Doctrine of Election?
God is worthy of our praise precisely because he has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
What Jesus Meant When He Said “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”
He does not say “the exile is over” or even “salvation has come”—although both of these are connected to the kingdom—but “the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Why Did Jesus Tell People Not to Bury Their Father or Say Goodbye to Their Family? (Luke 9)
Disciples have a more important calling and responsibility: heralding the good news of the kingdom.
What do the Old Testament commands have to do with New Testament Christians? Should Christians seek to obey the Old Testament just like the Israelites? Can we “unhitch” ourselves from it altogether?
The First Adam, the Last Adam, and the Gospel
John MacArthur discusses the historicity and significance of Adam in the Bible.
Is It Fair for God to Judge Those Whom He Predestined? (Romans 9)
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
Why Study the Book of Ecclesiastes?
Ecclesiastes is consistent with the rest of Scripture in its explanation that true wisdom is to fear God even when we cannot see all that God is doing.
Life is complex. Gray areas abound. Yet Jesus taught that we all face a simple but fateful either/or: a wide way leading to woe, or a narrow way leading to life.
10 Key Bible Verses on Celebrating
Read these ten verses that highlight the importance of celebrating God’s goodness, blessings, and the salvation offered through faith.
3 Reasons Jesus's Miracles Still Matter Today
The miracles of Jesus were relevant to the people back then. But what about now?
Will Unbelievers Be Annihilated or Suffer Eternally? (Revelation 14)
The reality of a believer's faith will reveal itself in observable and concrete ways—those who endure follow God in obedience.
10 Key Bible Verses on Kindness
God is kind to us—most evident in Christ—and demonstrates how we can, in turn, show his character to others by being kind.
10 Key Bible Verses on Humanity
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
10 Lesser-Known References to Jesus in the Old Testament
The Old Testament contains “types,” that is, symbolic personages and things and events that point to a climactic fulfillment in Christ. Here are ten lesser-known types that point forward to Jesus.
Suffering with a Christian Worldview
The question we must always ask of suffering is this: What could possibly be worth it? Jesus’s flabbergasting claim is that he is.
Bible Q&A - Why Are There Two Testaments in the Bible?
Dane Ortlund answers why there are two testaments in the Bible.
10 Things You Should Know about the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes set the moral and spiritual bar so high that we cannot possibly live up to them—and in our best moments, we know this.
What Does It Mean That All Israel Will Be Saved? (Romans 11)
There is a particular call to faith in Christ through the call of the gospel. Both God’s gifts and his calling of Jews to faith in Christ remain in force and will not be revoked.
Here are seven important principles for sharing our faith with others gleaned from a close reading of Acts 8.
Why Are the Books of the Bible in the Order They’re In?
The positioning of each book relative to other books in the canonical collection has hermeneutical significance for the reader who seeks meaning in the text.
9 Passages to Read about Pastoral Ministry
Scripture has a lot to say about the responsibilities and blessings of being in the ministry.
The book of Acts does not primarily provide us with human patterns to emulate or avoid. Instead, it repeatedly calls us to reflect upon the work of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, establishing the church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why Study the Book of Hebrews?
Hebrews shows us that the Bible is not a collection of unrelated stories, but is rather one unified story.
What Does the New Testament Mean That Jesus Will Come Soon?
What would it mean for an infallible spokesman (an apostle!) of the Lord Jesus, who cannot predict the time, to say that Jesus is coming soon?
Day 1 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
What We Would Be Missing If We Didn't Have the Book of Acts
The book of Acts offers something unique in the Christian canon. It recounts the birth of the church age, and its content has no parallel in the New Testament.
Introducing ‘The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge’
The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge seeks to make a distinctive contribution to biblical scholarship.
The King Who Suffers for His People
The king would represent. And the king would suffer. But what do those have to do with each other, and how do they lead to salvation?
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Timothy and Titus?
1–2 Timothy and Titus are among the most personal and practical books in the New Testament. These letters are often called the "Pastoral Epistles,” but they’re relevant for all Christians, not just pastors.
Jesus’s Love for the Marginalized of this World
We are inclined to give our attention to and serve those with influence and power, to praise those who wield influence in the world, but every person is made in God’s image and every person is significant.
While many know D. A. Carson for his mind and his impressive scholarly writings, fewer have an intimate acquaintance with the heart that produces those works.
Fight the Good Fight but Surrender the Bad Ones
Paul shows the Philippians catastrophic consequences of unnecessary war to make them long for necessary peace. Let’s fight the good fight of faith but surrender bad fights of faith.
Romans explains the saving work of Jesus reported in the Gospels, and unpacks many of the teachings that were foundational to the churches that arose in Acts.
10 Things You Should Know about the Book of Acts
In the book of Acts, Jesus remains at the center of the action calling people to himself, adding new believers to his church, providing direction to his disciples, and appointing ministers of his word.
Did Paul Endorse Slavery? (1 Timothy 6)
Paul states that slaves should pursue their own freedom if at all possible, and he also forbids free Christians from becoming slaves.
What Is the Great Gain of Godliness? (1 Timothy 6)
Believers should not act as if material possessions are the key to the good life, because they are not. The good life is in godly contentment.
The Book of Revelation Is Not Just about the Future
The symbolism of the book ranges through the entire Old Testament canonical Scriptures and drives us back to the very beginning.
Why Study the Book of Ephesians?
Ephesians invites us to consider what God has made us to be, do, and have in Christ for a display of the gospel to the world.
5 Ways We See Jesus Serve as a Priest
Yet, when we look at these four books, we see Jesus doing what priests do throughout. He teaches the law, purifies the unclean, cleanses the temple, forgives sins, and prays for his disciples.
Do the Gospels Contradict Themselves?
If anyone wants to argue that two Gospel accounts are in such conflict that both cannot be true, he must first ensure that he has correctly understood the claims being made in each text.
Acts shows that the new Christian movement is not a fringe sect but the culmination of God’s plan of redemption.
10 Reasons Pastors Should Study the Bible in Its Original Languages
Every pastor—as time and opportunities arise—should study the Bible in its original languages. Yes, it's that important.
Why Does the Gospel of Mark End without Mention of Jesus’s Resurrection?
Mark provides only eight verses to narrate the events after Jesus’s crucifixion, including the women’s angelic encounter at the tomb and the angel’s announcement with no actual resurrection appearances.
Why We Desperately Need the Message of Revelation
In the midst of evil, in a world in which the Christian faith is under attack, we need hope and assurance that evil will not have the last word.
Why Study the Book of Philippians?
Behind the text of Philippians stands a riveting story shared by Paul and the Philippian Christians—what we might call the “fellowship of the cross.”
Jared C. Wilson gives three big reasons you ought to give Romans careful study.
10 Things You Should Know about the Book of Mark
Jesus goes to Calvary to atone for apostate apostles, blasphemous bystanders, taunting thieves, and even hate-spitting, flesh-whipping Roman soldiers.
7 Lessons from the Book of Revelation
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
Here we look at seven lessons that exemplify how the book of Revelation is theological (God-centered), eschatological (focused on future hope), and practical (aimed at godliness).
Did Jesus Teach That Our Prayers Are Bothersome to God? (Luke 18)
In Luke 18 Jesus tells of a judge who does not fear God or respect human beings.—especially those who, like the widow, are poor and disadvantaged.
Will God’s Wrath Come upon the Sexually Immoral? (Ephesians 5)
Not everyone who commits these sins is excluded from God’s heavenly kingdom. Yet, those who persistently give themselves over to them demonstrate that they are indeed excluded from eternal life.
10 Things You Should Know about the Reliability of the New Testament Writers
Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek
We have all these reasons to support the idea that the New Testament writers relentlessly stuck to the truth. And why wouldn’t they?
Why Good Works Are Crucial for the Christian Life
What is required of us to live in this world as citizens worthy of all the wonders and relationships belonging to the next?
What Does Colossians 1:15 Mean?
Readers often pause and puzzle over Colossians 1:15 and its statement that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is “the firstborn of all creation.”
Introducing the ‘Blessed’ Podcast with Nancy Guthrie
In this new podcast, Nancy Guthrie—author, Bible teacher, and podcast host—leads listeners to a deeper understanding of the book of Revelation through conversations with respected Bible scholars, pastors, and other Bible teachers.
Why the 10 Commandments Are Still Relevant
The law in the New Testament is to show us that in the life of the believer, the law is in fact a means of grace because it shows us what pleases God.
Faith in Christ vs. the Faithfulness of Christ
It is Christ and his blood rather than our faith that is really the foundation of our salvation. Our faith in the gospel of Christ is important and necessary to our salvation.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Ephesians?
Why has this small letter had such a big impact on the church? The answer, at least in part, is due to the depth and diversity of topics emphasized in the letter.
The Sermon on the Mount Is Not an Impossible Standard to Make Us Feel Bad
If we approach the Sermon on the Mount only or mainly as a means by which we see our sinfulness, we’ve not taken the sermon on its own terms.
7 Reasons to Use 'The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge'
'The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge' reflects significant advances that have been made in Greek New Testament translation.
What Did Jesus Teach about Discipleship?
Jesus’s instruction about discipleship applies to all (i.e., not simply the twelve) who want to follow him and includes three elements: denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and following him.
Why Does the Book of Acts End So Abruptly?
The abrupt but victorious ending compels readers to ask about their own role in this narrative. Acts offers a word of encouragement. Yet, encouragement for what?
The gospel—the good news of what God has done for sinners through Jesus Christ—permeates 1 Corinthians.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Mark?
Certainly Mark is the Gospel that has most in common with the other Gospels. But even Mark has some distinctives that are worth noting and that help us to read Mark as Mark.
Why Study the Book of Revelation?
The book of Revelation shows us how to live victoriously in the midst of both torment and temptation.
It Doesn’t Matter What Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh Was
The thorn’s purpose is to deflate the certainty that Paul would quietly become puffed up over his indescribable experience of heaven. And who wouldn’t, without a thorn to burst that bubble?
3 Kinds of Prayers That God Answers
We know we should pray. We start praying. But soon we give up. Or we pray with no expectation of an answer. Or we pray for the wrong things. Prayer becomes a problem rather than a solution.
Galatians is a letter is about protecting the truth of the gospel, which declares what God has done in Christ for sinners.
The thrust of 1 Timothy is that godliness is central to the Christian’s continuing in the gospel and the church’s proclamation of the gospel.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Luke?
The four Gospels present Jesus as true Israel and the divine Son of God who lived a faithful life, died for sins of his people, and rose from the dead, but each evangelist retells this story a bit differently.
Why Study the Book of 2 Corinthians?
The Christian life is impossible to live without 2 Corinthians.
The Real Reason We Don’t Evangelize
How can we motivate greater evangelism? Many of us hold false beliefs that are at the root of a lot of our evangelistic apathy and inactivity.
How Hannah’s Prayer Found Its Fulfillment in Mary’s Magnificat
Why does Luke talk so much about God being "high"? The answer lies in Mary’s praise in the well-known Magnificat.
4 Reasons We Should Study the Book of Revelation
Many of us have a rather lightweight perception of what it means to be blessed. Revelation is going to correct some of our assumptions about what the blessed life looks like.
Simply Read: An 8-Day Bible Reading Challenge
Join us on this 8-day journey through Luke and Acts aimed at helping us see the glory of God through his Word.
10 Things to Remember When Reading the Bible
At the heart of the Bible is the gospel, the good news that Christ has come and has lived and died and has risen from the dead, and now lives to intercede for us.
What 1 and 2 Thessalonians Teach (and Don’t Teach) about the End Times
Thessalonians does not present a complete picture. Neither do other parts of Scripture. What do these letters contribute to a fuller biblical eschatology?
When we study this book, will not our hearts burn within us with love for him? And will not this love overflow for the salvation of the world?
4 Reasons We Avoid the Book of Revelation
Revelation is actually less about when Jesus will return and more about what we are to do, who we are to be, and what we can expect to endure as we wait for Jesus to return to establish his kingdom.
How Should We Read Jesus's Parables?
Jesus is the embodiment of the wisdom of God—he is the Word of God—so at their center, the wisdom scenes of the parables picture the centrality and the supremacy of Christ.
Why Study the Book of Matthew?
Matthew’s account provides a unique window through which to see the glory of Christ.
David and Goliath Is about More than Having Courage
Every story in the Bible can be better understood through the lens of Christ and the gospel.
Why Is the Book of Acts So Focused on Peter and Paul?
The deeper motive for Luke’s focus on Peter and Paul is not on them simply as prominent, historic individuals in earliest church history, but on them as apostles and the nature of their apostolic commission.
2 Reasons You Should Pay Attention to the Use of the OT in the NT
What are NT authors trying to achieve by quoting OT Scriptures ? What are we to do with these quotations? The topic of the use of the OT in the NT matters for two main reasons.
Luke’s presentation helps us see clearly that the gospel of Jesus is about the comprehensive blessedness of God available to us through Jesus Christ.
The book of Revelation is a triumphant vision of God’s final victory over all the forces of evil in the world.
There may be no other book in all the Bible that packs in as much gospel per square inch than Ephesians.
What Did Jesus Teach about Judgment?
Some have said that the most popular verse in the Bible is Jesus’s command to his followers not to judge. How are we to understand Jesus's teaching on judgment?
The Gospel of Mark is presented in a way that demonstrates the fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
Christ in All of Scripture – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Why Study the Book of Galatians?
The constant pressure is toward practical atheism, toward falling asleep to the glory of our God. Galatians is given to wake us up.
Blessed: Why Study the Book of Revelation? (Episode 1)
Nancy Guthrie discusses the book of Revelation and how we actually can understand its central message, encouraging us to accept the blessing promised to those who “hear and keep” this book.
Why Is the Book of Romans Considered the Greatest Letter Ever Written?
Studying Romans carefully is worth every minute you invest that way. It’s a relatively short letter, it takes about sixty minutes to read aloud, and it’s profound.
While Hebrews clearly makes its own unique contribution, it joins other New Testament books in exulting in the same amazing grace in Jesus that forms the Bible’s main message.
5 Poor Ways to Approach the Old Testament
Through the New Testament we have instruction that enables us rightly to appreciate the Old Testament. And that appreciation means understanding how the Old Testament points to Christ.
For Matthew, the gospel is the good news that God has inaugurated the final stage of his plan to reclaim the world from the destruction of sin and establish his just and merciful reign over it.
The whole Bible is from heaven, and the whole thing is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). But different parts of the Bible serve us in different ways.
Of all the books in the Bible, Colossians may rightly be considered the most Christ-centered.
10 Things You Should Know about Biblical Typology
A symbol already has a special meaning when God first presents it in biblical history. But its meaning is more fully revealed when Christ comes, and we see the person for whom the symbolism was designed.
Was Jesus a Leader or a Follower?
Joanne J. Jung, Richard Langer
The New Testament leaves no doubt as to the deity of Christ. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. So perhaps it is unsurprising that we forget that Jesus was also a follower.
Does the Book of Acts Teach Socialism? (Acts 2)
One of the greatest challenges in interpreting the book of Acts, one with which every reader must wrestle, is in determining whether the narrative portions of the book are descriptive or prescriptive.
The Relationship between Saving Faith and God-Pleasing Works
Paul underlines repeatedly the crucial and powerful relationship between faith and the good works of love.
Everything John tells us about Jesus leads us to his cross and his empty tomb—to his substitutionary death and glorious resurrection.
If there ever was a clarion call to rejoice because of the gospel, it is Paul’s epistle to the Philippians.
10 Things You Should Know about Jesus’s Final Days on Earth
Jesus clearly explains the message of the Scriptures “concerning himself” in Luke 24; he also provides a model for faithful Bible reading.
What Did Paul Mean by “New Creation”?
The resurrection in Jewish thought means that the new age has arrived and that the old age of evil and death has come to an end.
What Is the Foundational Authority of Scripture?
That the whole authority of the Scripture in itself, depends solely on its divine original, is confessed by all who acknowledge its authority.
What the author of Hebrews is getting at is the perfect marriage between doctrine and practice. If we believe the things that he has declared, that has radical implications for how we live our lives.
What’s New about the Revised Edition of ‘Kingdom through Covenant’?
Peter J. Gentry, Stephen J. Wellum
The authors of a landmark work of biblical theology explain what’s changed in the second edition.
The main purpose of Daniel is to reveal to us who God is—his character, his purposes, his way of working in the world for the good of his people.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of 2 Corinthians?
If otherwise vital Pauline notions such as “grace” and “law” are nowhere near the heart of Paul’s concerns in 2 Corinthians, what is the heart or center or core burden of this letter?
James is a beloved epistle, eminently practical and full of vivid exhortations to godly living.
We Need Spiritual Sight to Read about Jesus
The disciples’ journey with Jesus on the road to Emmaus poignantly illustrates the fact that we need spiritual sight to recognize Jesus’s true identity as revealed in the Scriptures.
What Did Jesus Teach about Himself?
Jesus taught on a variety of topics, from family, to money, to discipleship, and more. But there is one subject that is central to all his other teachings—himself.
Paul’s second letter to Timothy is a call to endurance amid opposition and suffering for the sake of the gospel.
Why Study the Book of 1 Corinthians?
How is Christian unity revealed? Put another way, what is the flesh and blood of union with other believers? Paul roots his theology of unity in love.
Second Corinthians is filled with the astounding paradoxes of the gospel.
The Temple(s) Filled with God’s Presence
What a glorious end to the story! In the new Jerusalem, there is no temple, no need for one particular place where God will dwell, because he dwells right out in the open, among his people.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul cannot stop rejoicing that the gospel came to the Thessalonians in word, in power, and with full conviction by the Holy Spirit.
Christ in All of Scripture - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: John Calvin on John 3:16
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God's Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
What Is at the Center of Paul’s Theology?
How should we proceed in our own interpretation of Paul? Is it, for example, with his teaching on justification by faith? Or with his teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit? Or somewhere else?
In the book of Jude, our heavenly Father threatens the church to keep her from being dragged away from his love.
Was Christ’s Coming the End of the Law? (Romans 10)
Christ is the termination of the law in the sense that he ushers in a new age— both continuous with and different from the former age.
3 Questions about the End Times
We can seek to understand as much as possible about how God will work in the end times, but let’s stay humble and freely admit our ignorance.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Colossians?
The theology of Colossians is distinct because it arises from Paul’s response to a false teaching that was threatening the church in Colossae.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Jude?
Knowing the true gospel inside and out is a crucial way of being able to identify departures from the gospel and remain true to Jesus.
Peter writes to encourage a “mixed bag” of believers with dear but easily forgotten truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Christian Terminology Is Built on the Old Testament
When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the gospel, the NT often adopts essential concepts/words from the OT, particularly the Greek version.
How John’s Gospel Helps Us Understand God’s Mission
Why did God create the world? What is his plan for humanity? Why send Jesus? We must start with these foundational questions before exploring how God accomplishes his mission.
The book of Titus is a letter from Paul to a young pastor, urging him to lead his people deeper into the gospel.
The word “gospel” never appears in the letters of John. Yet it is hard to imagine a book more intimately connected to the gospel of saving grace in Christ Jesus than John’s first letter.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Galatians?
No compromise can be accepted or tolerated when it comes to the gospel, and all teachings and teachers must be evaluated and measured by the gospel revealed to us by Jesus Christ himself.
Day 2 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
Paul Was a Missionary Consumed by God’s Approval
If receiving God’s affirmation is of critical concern for our mission, then isn’t the antithetical desire for others’ approval to be a potential snare for Christian ministers?
The central gospel themes in Paul’s shortest letter are surprisingly substantial.
Blessed: The Apocalyptic Nature of Revelation with Iain Duguid (Episode 2)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Iain Duguid about how we can understand Revelation in new ways when we read it as a letter, as a promise, and as apocalyptic prophecy.
Admitting Imperfections and Turning Them for Love
In spite of having such a privileged role in the early church, Paul did not try to pull rank by hiding his weaknesses or his sins.
Day 3 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
How Does the Old Testament Fit in with the Great Commission?
Recent stats suggest that Christian awareness of the Great Commission has fallen on hard times. Barna Research has stated that only 24 percent of churchgoers know what it is.
Christ in All of Scripture - Matthew 26:26-29
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Where is the gospel in Jude’s epistle? In such a compact space, we actually receive a potent portrait of the gospel.
6 Soul-Searching Questions from the Book of Hebrews
New converts to Christianity typically have few doubts. But years of living and learning often soften their confidence.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Revelation?
The book of Revelation is characterized by symbolism and dazzling—and sometimes confusing—visions which can make the book difficult to understand.
When we come to Revelation 19, we finally begin to approach John’s vision of the very last things. Soon we will move to the very good ending of the story of Scripture—and of the whole world.
How OT Scriptures Changed the Course of History at the Jerusalem Council
The decisive speech fell to James, the brother of Jesus. Yet his speech mainly quoted Scripture. The turning point at the Jerusalem Council was a passage from the Word of God.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Hebrews?
The theology of the book of Hebrews is distinct in that it draws together so many of the greatest truths revealed in God’s word to address the deepest of human needs.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
Saul Had an Extraordinary, Supernatural Conversion—and So Did You
Isn’t it interesting how God saves people? And whom God saves? And how he changes them? It’s often the people we least expect and in a way we would never expect.
Something Scarier Than the Storm
Jesus’s miracle in the boat didn’t solve the disciples’ life problems; it gave them a bigger problem. Now they had to figure out what to do with Jesus.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Philemon?
Some question whether we should even say that the book of Philemon has a theology since it is merely a short, practical letter written to an individual Christian rather than a church.
Here’s the principle. Seeing courage spreads courage. Seeing boldness awakens boldness. Seeing fearlessness overcomes fear.
Day 4 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
The faithfulness needed to combat wickedness requires an experience of God’s powerful grace in the gospel.
How Did Jesus’s Stories Get Passed On?
Some seek to explain how the stories were passed from Jesus into the Gospels, but that question, though tending to get primacy in academic discussion, is actually secondary.
Blessed: How the Old Testament Helps us Make Sense of Revelation with Andrew Sach (Episode 3)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Andrew Sach about how the more we keep our eyes and ears open for Old Testament imagery and allusions, the less strange the book of Revelation will seem.
The Apostle Paul: A 5-Day Devotional
Over the next five days, learn more about the apostle and be encouraged to imitate his example of unwavering confidence in God's grace and love toward others.
What Is at the Heart of the Book of Acts?
If this is a book about what the apostles did, it is interesting that after the twelve are listed in the first chapter, we don’t hear anything else about most of them.
How Does the Parable of the Two Sons Display the Genius of Jesus?
The parable of the two sons is Jesus’s longest story, and it’s remarkable in so many ways. Jesus loads up the story with layers of meaning.
What Really Happened At the First Christmas
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Alexander E. Stewart
In order to appreciate the significance of Messiah’s coming—and thus to understand the true meaning of Christmas—we need to travel back in time, back to the first Christmas.
Introducing The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge, Reader’s Edition
A new edition of the Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge to make for a smoother, less-interrupted reading of the text.
Pastor: Your Ministry Is a Mercy
Paul’s deeply rooted understanding that his calling was a totally undeserved expression of God’s great mercy to him was itself one of the core convictions that kept him faithful to the end.
Day 5 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians is a letter of comfort to those eagerly awaiting the promised return of Jesus Christ.
Why Titus 2 Is a Great Commission Passage
Few would argue against the fact that the Scriptures clearly require every Christian to both be a disciple and make disciples.
3 Practical Ways to Love Your Neighbor
In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 the apostle Paul gets very practical about what brotherly love should look like.
Turning High Thoughts to the Help of the Lowly
Paul loved God and people. His love for God summoned him ever higher into God’s revealed glory, and his love for people summoned him alongside ordinary folks.
Blessed: The Marriage Imagery of Revelation with Jonathan Gibson (Episode 5)
Nancy Guthrie talks with Jonathan Gibson about God's people being prepared as a bride throughout Scripture in anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb and an eternal marriage in Revelation.
Podcast: Struggling to Pray? Start Here. (Kevin DeYoung)
Kevin DeYoung talks about our common struggle to pray and how the Lord's Prayer—the prayer that Jesus offered as a model for our prayers—can help us to pray to God day in and day out.
Day 6 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
What Should We Keep in Mind When Considering the Ethics of the Bible?
When we speak about the ethics in the Bible, we are not just thinking of the Old Testament law or of the Sermon on the Mount, nor do we only have in mind actual moral instructions, injunctions, and prohibitions.
Day 7 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of 2 Thessalonians?
Other numbered “sets” of New Testament letters exhibit distinct differences. Yet the two Thessalonian letters are customarily treated together. This is an indication of how closely the two letters track.
Day 8 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
Blessed: The Theology of the Book of Revelation with Tom Schreiner (Episode 4)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Thomas Schreiner about how our reading of the book of Revelation is impacted by our theology of the Trinity, judgment, and eschatology.
Podcast: Jackie Hill Perry on Recording the Entire ESV Bible: “It Changed Everything”
Jackie Hill Perry shares what it was like to spend over sixty-five hours reading God's word aloud in a recording studio with unsaved audio engineers listening in the whole time.
Christmas Is for the Poor and Humble
Without a doubt we could spend our lives searching the literature of the world for a story as beautiful as that of the nativity and never find it.
Why Your Church Is Not Exempt from the Work of Church Planting
It is important that every local church find some way to focus their ministry efforts on church planting.
Do You Long for Truth and Meaning in Life? Read Hebrews
Hebrews is a rich treasury of life-transforming truth and heart-sustaining encouragement. Do you long to know Jesus? Hebrews introduces him as the eternal Son who radiates the glory of God.
Finding Grace in Unlikely Places
When we could not take care of ourselves, God took care of us. That’s the message of grace.
An Interview with Dr. James Hamilton on "Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches"
James M. Hamilton Jr. answered questions on Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches.
3 Ways Early Christians Were Intentional about Sharing the Gospel
The New Testament shows that early Christians were consistent in sharing the good news with individuals and households, as well as proclaiming the gospel in public squares.
Your Access Point into the Doctrine of Scripture Is Jesus
Why do Christians take the Bible so seriously? Despite some variety in how they might frame their doctrine of Scripture, Christians have, right from the beginning, been “people of the book.”
Podcast: 12 Quick Questions about the Reliability of the Bible (Peter Williams)
Peter Williams answers tough questions about the reliability of the Bible, offering assurance to those who have ever felt like their trust in God's word has been shaken.
Podcast: Do Christians Need to Follow the Mosaic Law? (Frank Thielman)
What does the New Testament teach about how the Old Testament applies to Christians?
You Have Been Raised Up with Christ
Paul's letter to the Ephesian church details how being embraced by the love of Christ truly changes everything.
Remembering the Awesomeness of Immanuel
Jesus is Immanuel. The man Jesus is “God with us.”
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: John Calvin on John 1:1
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God’s Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: Matthew Henry on Revelation 22
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God’s Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
What the Book of Hebrews Teaches Us about Jesus
In this video, pastor Matt Capps discusses the unique contribution that the book of Hebrews makes to the New Testament.
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: Martin Luther on Galatians 3:2
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God’s Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
What about the window of time in between forgiveness of past sins and assurance of future heaven?
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: J. C. Ryle on Mark 2:13-17
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God’s Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
Podcast: How to Translate the New Testament (Peter Williams)
ESV Translation Oversight Committee member Dr. Peter Williams discusses many of the factors involved in translating the New Testament.
Christ in All of Scripture – John 5:36–40
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Podcast: Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of the Book of Revelation (Nancy Guthrie)
Nancy Guthrie discusses why the book of Revelation is actually more accessible, more timely, and more encouraging than you probably know.
Over the next 15 days, read through John’s first letter to the church alongside explanatory passages adapted from ESV Expository Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Volume 12).
Christ in All of Scripture - Mark 2:16-17
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Podcast: Is the Sabbath Still Relevant for Christians? (Guy Waters)
Guy Waters discusses God's original purpose for the Sabbath, how the idea of Sabbath rest recurs throughout the Old and New Testaments, and whether the Sabbath is relevant for Christians today.
Podcast: The Greatest Chapter in the Bible (Andy Naselli)
Andy Naselli talks about what he considers to be the greatest letter ever written: Romans 8.
Jesus Was More Than a Storyteller
What if the great storyteller also lived a perfect life? What if he came from God? What if he was the long-anticipated Jewish Messiah?
In the age of TikTok, how does a naked, bloodied, and bruised body hanging on a wooden cross outside Jerusalem have any connection with my life?
Christ in All of Scripture – 1 Peter 1:3–9
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture - Philemon 1:17-20
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Hebrews 11: A 5-Day Devotional
Recount Hebrews 11 and the stories of faith-filled men and women throughout biblical history whom God commended for believing what they could not yet see.
Acts: A 14-Day Devotional for Men
In this 14-day devotional, read through the entire book of Acts with devotional readings corresponding to select passages adapted from the ESV Men’s Devotional Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture - Revelation 1:4-8
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Podcast: What Really Happened at Pentecost? (Patrick Schreiner)
Patrick Schreiner discusses the story of Pentecost—the account of the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell God’s people in a new and powerful way.
Luke: A 10-Day Devotional Reading Plan
See how the Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the promised King of kings, showcasing how Jesus’s earthly ministry is good news to the downtrodden, the hurting, and the outsider.
Podcast: The NT Authors Quoted the OT Way More Than We Do (Greg Lanier)
In today's episode, Greg Lanier talks about the many ways that the Old Testament stands as an indispensable foundation for the New.
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: J.C. Ryle on Luke 2
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God's Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
Christ in All of Scripture – Colossians 3:1–17
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Mark: An 8-Day Devotional Reading Plan
Over the course of eight days, be encouraged by Scripture and the wisdom of other women as you seek to apply the truths of Mark's gospel to your everyday life.
Christ in All of Scripture - Hebrews 1:1-4
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
1 Corinthians: A 9-Day Devotional for Women
In this 9-day devotional, read through the entire book of 1 Corinthians with devotional readings corresponding to select passages adapted from the ESV Women’s Devotional Bible.
Christ in all of Scripture – Luke 1:67-79
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture - John 1:1-5
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture – Romans 5:1–5
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture – John 21:15–19
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Video: Justin Holcomb on the Book of Acts
Justin Holcomb, author of Acts: A 12-Week Study, explains how the book of Acts chronicles the spread of the gospel in the early church and offers transformative grace for us today.
Christ in All of Scripture – Hebrews 4:14-16
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture – Mark 4:35-41
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Video: Studying the Book of James
In this video, Greg Gilbert introduces us to James: A 12-Week Study, which is part of Crossway's Knowing the Bible study series.
Serving ourselves hinders our effectiveness and skews our priorities as Christians.
Christ in All of Scripture - James 2:14-19
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Video: Studying the Book of Philippians
In this video, Ryan Kelly introduces us to Philippians: A 12-Week Study, which is part of Crossway's Knowing the Bible study series.
Recommeded Reads for Sermon Prep
Are you getting ready to preach through Colossians? Dr. David P. Craig thinks Sam Storm's The Hope of Glory could be helpful.
Video: Studying the Book of Matthew
In this video, Drew Hunter introduces us to Matthew: A 12-Week Study, which is part of Crossway's Knowing the Bible study series.
Podcast: There’s More to the Christmas Story Than You Think (Benjamin L. Gladd)
Benjamin Gladd talks about how the Gospel of Luke draws on the riches of the Old Testament to reveal truly amazing things about the identity of Jesus, Old Testament prophecy, and the real meaning of Christmas.
Know the Bible In the following posts, contributors to the Knowing the Bible series explain the vital contribution each biblical book makes to the whole, and why each one is worth knowing. Old Testament Why …
Podcast: On Apologetics: The Best of ‘The Crossway Podcast’
We are pleased to offer a selection of some of the best moments related to apologetics from the podcast over the past four years.
Today’s post is the first in a four-part series to give you a sample of some of our favorite devotional resources.
Christ in all of Scripture – Matthew 1:1-17
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture - Ephesians 2:4-7
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Christ in All of Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Podcast: 5 Strange Stories in the Book of Acts (Nancy Guthrie)
Nancy Guthrie answers a series of questions about some of the amazing but at times confusing stories in the book of Acts.
Alan Thompson on Resurrection and the Hope of Israel (Season 2, Episode 6)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with professor and author Alan Thompson about three aspects of Acts that are key to understanding the conflict at the heart of the book.
Ray Ortland shares how recording the entire ESV Bible reawakened him to the incredible power and authority of the sixty-six books that make up our Bible.
Nancy Guthrie on the Salvation Purposes of God in Acts (Season 2, Episode 1)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she begins an initial exploration of the book of Acts by interrogating its title with the aim of determining what the aim and purpose of the book really is.
Ben Gladd on the Use of the Old Testament in Acts (Season 2, Episode 5)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with professor and author Ben Gladd about the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament—both direct quotations and more subtle allusions.
Andrew Young on Power in Weakness in Acts (Season 2, Episode 7)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with pastor Andrew Young about a framework for understanding both divine power and human weakness on display throughout the book of Acts.
Patrick Schreiner on the Theology of the Book of Acts (Season 2, Episode 2)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Patrick Schreiner about the uniqueness of the book of Acts and the theological themes that are woven throughout the entire book.
Fred Sanders on the Holy Spirit in Acts (Season 2, Episode 3)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with theologian Fred Sanders about the person and work of the Holy Spirit and specifically about his descent and indwelling of believers in the book of Acts.
Nate Shurden on Opportunities and Challenges in Teaching Acts (Season 2, Episode 11)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with pastor Nate Shurden about what should be considered when endeavoring to teach through the book of Acts.
Greg Lanier on Taking the Gospel into the Empire (Season 2, Episode 9)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Greg Lanier about the theme of the kingdom of God in the book of Acts and about the Greco-Roman and Jewish world behind the New Testament.
Tom Schreiner on Paul, the Apostolic Missionary in Acts (Season 2, Episode 8)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Thomas Schreiner about the person and work of Paul, particularly his theological foundations, his work as a missionary, and the many problems he faced.
It’s Still True: Everyone Who Calls upon the Name of the Lord Will Be Saved (Season 2, Episode 10)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with a number of good friends about how they are experiencing the promise of the book of Acts in their own ministries around the world.