There are paragraphs in the Bible which as we read we understand, but when we read them more carefully there are profound truths we may have overlooked. This is true of Hebrews chapter nine. In these verses, God talks about the tabernacle/temple with its two rooms. That second room, described in this chapter as “the second part,” was hidden from almost every…

How quickly could you read through the entire Bible?  Depending on your reading speed, it would take most people around 65 to 80 hours.  So, if you did nothing else for three days straight (without sleeping), you could read it.  Or, if you took two 40-hour work weeks, you could read it. Of course, that is not the way that folks normally…

In Part 1 of this series, we learned that in order to understand the Bible, you need to know some principles of interpretation. The first principle is that God speaks with direct commands. However, this is not the only way God gives us commands. The next principle is implied commands. These are directives that God gives us that logically follow from the…

When we look at our Bible, we are so blessed even though we may not realize just how blessed we are to have our own personal printed copy of God’s will for us. Our Bible is divided into books, and it was God who determined these divisions. He sent His Spirit upon chosen men to give us a record of so much…

One of the easiest things to do (it seems) is to quote a Bible verse—out of its original and intended context—in order to prove a point.  However, in so doing, the validity of such argumentation has no foundation at all.  As has long been stated, “A text, out of context, is a pretext.” While some verses may sound good and make us…

As I have gotten older, I have learned so much about how to study the Bible. Let me allow you to look over my shoulder as we read the following verse and begin our study by carefully looking at every phrase and sometimes every word. Take time to see how each part of a verse relates to every other part and how…

It is interesting and often discouraging to observe happenings in the religious world.  The whole world was tuned in to the recent passing of Pope Francis and the selection of Pope Leo as the new leader of the Catholic Church.  During that same time, an article was published by a major news outlet regarding “an ongoing debate” within another large denomination about…

How do you know you’re interpreting the Bible accurately? Do you need a preacher’s opinion? Do you need a traditional interpretation? Or do you need a single elected man in a seat of authority to give a definitive answer? Now, there is definitely great value in asking a trusted Bible teacher for help. In Acts 8:30-31, when Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch…