The Parables of Jesus

Parables were short stories that had a moral or ethical point related to matters of Jewish law, interpretation, and application. The use of parables was popular in all stages of Jewish literature, from the Bible to the writings of the rabbis.

Jesus used parables often to coincide with his teaching and understanding of Torah. His parables were often misunderstood, even by his own disciples, and often had several layers of meaning. Here are the parables by Jesus recorded in Mathew, Mark, and Luke:

Parable: Lamp under a bowl 

Matthew 5:14– 15; Mark 4: 21– 22; Luke 8:16; 11: 33 

Parable: Wise and foolish builders 

Matthew 7:24–27; Luke 6:47–49 

Parable: New cloth on an old coat 

Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36 

Parable: New wine in old wineskins 

Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37– 38 

Parable: Sower and the soils 

Matthew 13:3–8, 18–23; Mark 4:3– 8, 14– 20; Luke 8:5– 8, 11–15 

Parable: Weeds 

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 

Parable: Mustard seed 

Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19 

Parable: Yeast 

Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20–21 

Parable: Hidden treasure 

Matthew 13:44 

Parable: Valuable pearl 

Matthew 13:45–46 

Parable: Net 

Matthew 13:47–50 

Parable: Owner of a house 

Matthew 13:52 

Parable: Lost sheep 

Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7 

Parable: Unmerciful servant 

Matthew 18:23-34 

Parable: Workers in the vineyard 

Matthew 20:1-16 

Parable: Two sons 

Matthew 21:28-32 

Parable: Tenants 

Matthew 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-11; Luke: 20: 9– 18 

Parable: Wedding banquet 

Matthew 22: 2-14

Parable: Fig tree 

Matthew 24:32-35; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31 

Parable: Faithful and wise servant 

Matthew 24: 45-51; Luke 12:42-48 

Parable: Ten virgins 

Matthew 25:1-13 

Parable: Bags of gold (minus) 

Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27 

Parable: Sheep and goats 

Matthew 25:31-46 

Parable: Growing seed 

Mark 4:26-29 

Parable: Watchful servants 

Mark 13:35-37; Luke 12:35-40 

Parable: Moneylender 

Luke 7:41-43 

Parable: Good Samaritan 

Luke 10:30-37 

Parable: Friend in need 

Luke 11:5-8 

Parable: Rich fool

Luke 12:16-21 

Parable: Unfruitful fig tree 

Luke 13:6-9 

Parable: Lowest seat at the feast 

Luke 14:7-14 

Parable: Great banquet 

Luke 14:16-24 

Parable: Cost of discipleship 

Luke 14:28-33 

Parable: Lost coin 

Luke 15:8-10 

Parable: Lost (prodigal) son 

Luke 15:11-32 

Parable: Shrewd manager 

Luke 16:1-8 

Parable: Rich man and Lazarus 

Luke 16:19-31 

Parable: Master and his servant 

Luke 17:7-10 

Parable: Persistent widow 

Luke 18:2-8 

Parable: Pharisee and tax collector 

Luke 18:10-14

What is a Parable?

Here's a good article to help guide our approach and application of Jesus' use of parable.

Introduction to Parables

Holy Week - Readings

A number of years ago, Gospel Coalition blogger, Justin Taylor posted a short series on Holy Week providing daily Scripture reading for each day of the week. Each reading corresponds with each day of Jesus’ final week - leading into his crucifixion and resurrection. 

It’s a helpful resource for personal devotional study this week as you prepare for celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

Holy Week: What Happened on Sunday (Palm Sunday)? 

Holy Week: What Happened on Monday? 

Holy Week: What Happened on Tuesday? 

Holy Week: What Happened on Wednesday? 

Holy Week: What Happened on Thursday? 

Holy Week: What Happened on Friday? 

Holy Week: What Happened on Sunday (Resurrection/Easter Sunday)?

*Note that there are two Sundays. The first marks the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which many churches celebrate, like Grace Church, Palm Sunday. The second Sunday is of course the day of the resurrection. 

* Also, there is no post for Saturday, because on that day Jesus was dead in the tomb and his followers were grieving. But on that second Sunday, up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes!

Great eBook Resource Sale!

Awesome sale on Zondervan eBooks. Get them 

while they're available!

Zondervan's Counterpoints Series eBook  ($2.99 each)

With dozens of contributing authors from varying theological backgrounds, the Zondervan Counterpoints Collection is an invaluable set of resources for Christians today, focusing on wide array of theological, biblical, and ethical hot topic issues. Many of the volumes in this unique collection lay out four or five separate views on a theological matter, giving the reader the chance to weigh the many sides that can arise on a particular issue.

The advantage of this collection is huge: the thought-provoking and varying points of view presented offer great soil with which one can cultivate a sound biblical foundation. Whether you are a student, pastor, teacher, or layperson, these volumes are a fantastic tool for understanding contemporary Christian issues you may face today in the light of solid scriptural truth. 

These are great! Pick one up today!

The Canaanite Genocide, Baptism, Inerrancy, The Historical Adam, Creation and Evolution, Miraculous Gifts, Remarriage After Divorce, Sanctification, The Church Growth Movement, Salvation in a Pluralistic World, Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism, Church Government, Women in Ministry, Lord’s Supper, Apologetics, Christian Spirituality, Divine Providence, The Worship Spectrum, The New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Hell, The Millennium, Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology, Law and Gospel, The Book of Revelation, The Apostle Paul

 

Zondervan's NIV Application Commentaries eBook  ($4.99 or less each)

How can you apply what you learned about Jerusalem, Ephesus, or Corinth to our present day needs in Dunedin, Clearwater, or Tampa? How can you take a message originally spoken in Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic and communicate it clearly in our own language? How can you take the eternal truths originally spoken in a different time and culture and apply them to the similar-yet-different needs of our culture? The NIV Application Commentary shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant, but also how it speaks powerfully today.

These are also great! It's one of my (P. Heath's) favorite commentary series. Pick up one of these award winning resources today!

Genesis; Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers; Deuteronomy; Joshua; Judges and Ruth; 1 & 2 Kings;1 and 2 Samuel , 1 & 2 Chronicles; Esther; Job; Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs; Isaiah; Jeremiah, Lamentations; Ezekiel; Daniel; Joel, Obadiah, Malachi; Hosea, Amos, Micah; Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah; Haggai, Zechariah; Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Acts; Romans; 1 Corinthians; 2 Corinthians, Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians & Philemon; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus; Hebrews; James; 1 Peter; 2 Peter & Jude; 1, 2, & 3 John; Revelation

First-Century Study Bible

Check out the NIV First-Century Study Bible by Zondervan.

Place the Scriptures into the context of it's original authorships and recipients is vital to understanding the text. There's a new resource available to you to do just that and we highly recommend checking out the NIV First-Centuray Study Bible. Experience the Bible through Eastern eyes by exploring the cultural, religious, and historical background of the Bible. This hardcover study Bible allows you to understand God’s Word in its original cultural context, bringing Scripture to life by providing fresh understanding to familiar passages, beloved stories and all the Scripture in between.

A Plea for Hospitality + A New Study Bible

Welcoming Strangers in Our Midst

“The foreigner [or stranger, Hebrew ger] residing among you must be treated as your native–born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
—Lev. 19:34

In the ancient world, hospitality was a high moral ideal, a kind of “law of the desert.” All nomads or seminomadic people needed hospitality from time to time. Welcoming a foreigner/stranger into your own tent ensured the same treatment when the tables were turned. Expectations developed in the ancient world that hosts would provide food, shelter and protection for the foreigner. This is well attested to in extra–Biblical sources as well as in the Bible itself (see Dt 16:13–15;Jdg 19). Abraham and Lot were seen as righteous, in part because they extended hospitality to travelers. Their behavior toward strangers is juxtaposed against the lack of hospitality shown to the same men by the people of Sodom.

The Bible has its own internal commentary on Sodom and Gomorrah:

• “This was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy" (Eze 16:49).
• “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!…Stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isa 1:10, 16–17).
• Jesus said that on the day of judgment, it will be worse for cities that refused hospitality to his disciples than for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Mt 10:1–15).
• Jesus said that on the day of judgment, when the Son of Man separates the sheep from goats, it will be a person's treatment of the less fortunate – the stranger, the sick, those in prison, those who needed food, water and clothing—that will be taken into account (see Mt 25:31–46).

The Bible seems to expect all people to treat the stranger and the vulnerable members of society with respect. Apparently, God does not tolerate abuse of people by even those outside the covenant and the law. The Bible reveals a moral map that needs no list of commandments. To state this universal law in poetic terms: “Do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7:12). Who then are the most vulnerable members of our society? Who are the strangers? How should they be treated?

** Excerpted from an Article in the NIV First–Century Study Bible.

Place the Scriptures into the context of it's original authorships and recipients is vital to understanding the text. There's a new resource available to you to do just that and we highly recommend checking out the NIV First-Centuray Study Bible. Experience the Bible through Eastern eyes by exploring the cultural, religious, and historical background of the Bible. This hardcover study Bible allows you to understand God’s Word in its original cultural context, bringing Scripture to life by providing fresh understanding to familiar passages, beloved stories and all the Scripture in between.

4 Tips on Gathering Well

Be Intentional:

When you come on Sundays, consider why we do what we do. As a church, our mission + vision is to drive all we do: "Grace Church is a community of changed people committed to serve + renew the Greater Dunedin area with the movement of the Gospel." Everything we do is to this end and it can be summarized with discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20). 

So, when we come to a Grace Church Sunday morning Gathering, let's remember WHY WE GATHER and come with an intentionality to grow, to learn, to serve, to give, to encourage, and to worship. 

Do not come solely for social reasons. Do not come to be entertained. And do not come out of some begrudging sense of obligation (whether to God or to your church community). 

Come because the MOST SATISFYING OBJECT in the universe has invited you to come and experience Him the best way we can, together.

Be Committed:

So come with a clear intentionality and, may I add another key component, come regularly. Make our time of worship, service, and teaching a core part of your week. God, most certainly isn't to be viewed as an "add-on" to your weekly endeavors and neither should His people (nor our involvement with His people). "Let us not [give] up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrew 10:25). 

Also, as expressed in earlier seasons of Grace Church, positive, forward momentum is a huge help to the advancement of any church. A huge momentum-killer is a low turnout to church meetings. When you come, and arrive on time, your simple presence and participation can do a lot for our church's forward momentum. Please consider that and realize what a crucial part that plays in the kingdom-building cause of our mission + vision.

Be Punctual:

Also, and related to that, being on time is also very important. When a large percentage of the Sunday morning crowd is 10 to 20 minutes late, unintentionally, a negative message is sent to our new comers and visitors. When the auditorium is empty at 9:56am, not only does the already big DHS auditorium feel empty, there's also, and more importantly, no one there to greet them and welcome them in their seats. And they can very easily get a sense that corporate worship may not be a priority to this group of people. Obviously, that's not the case for us and we don't want new comers to feel awkward, so let's do our best to be on time.

Be Expectant:

Come ready to learn. May I encourage you to invest your mind and prayers into our teaching series and/or topic. Give some thought to the text ahead of time. Listen to the Grace Church Podcast to catch up if you missed a week. Consider doing some of the extra readings recommended throughout the series. Check the blog and Facebook page for more resources and quotes. 

The more personal effort you put in to our teachings, the more you will, inevitably, receive. (This same principle applies to Community Group. Not reading through the questions and prayerfully thinking through them, before your Community Group, will significantly hinder your opportunity to grow and be discipled through our Community Group ministry.) 

So, may I encourage you to come ready to be challenged and ready to learn.

In summary, coming with intentionality and expectancy while remaining committed and punctual will greatly help our Sunday morning Gathering experience together. 

Let's keep going! May we experience all the spiritual growth and vitality we possible can together! 

Resources to Help You Experience the Goodness of God in the Midst of Suffering and Evil

As we begin our next teaching series, Evil and the Goodness of God, here are some helpful resources for you to consider reading, listening to, or watching...

Read:
Raging with Compassion by John Swinton
Evil and The Justice of God by N.T. Wright
The God I Don't Understand by Christopher Wright (No relation to N.T.!)
"How Could A Good God Allow Suffering" from The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
Spectacular Sins by John Piper

Listen:
How Could a Good God Allow Suffering? by Timothy Keller

Watch:
How Can A Good, Powerful God Allow Evil And Suffering? By Darrin Patrick
Evil by N.T. Wright

It's All About HIM

This Sunday, Feb. 3rd, we are beginning our new series on the mission + vision of Grace Church and we'll be preaching through the themes of the first two chapters of 1 Peter. Peter was writing to a marginalized and ostracized Christians and how do we encourage Christians (one another) when we are suffering?  We draw one another's attention to the glory and wonder of Christ.  In fact, this is what the Scriptures are all about - they are all about HIM.

1 Peter 1:10-12

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

I was heard Tim Keller give the following summary of the centrality of Christ throughout the biblical narrative.  It's worth meditating on...

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, "Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me," now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, "Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us."

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God's justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people's victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn't just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He's the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible's really not about you – it's about him.

  

True & Better from Peter Artemenko on Vimeo.

Heath's Top Five Bible Study Helps

#1.) The Holy Bible - A Few Different Translations:

First and for most, the best resources for Bible study is the BIBLE!  And the best way to understand the message of the Bible is to ready/study a number of Bible translations at the same time. 

As you know, that the Bible wasn't written in English.  It was originally written in  Hebrew and a little bit of Aramaic in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament. A translation tries to render the original language into clear, accurate, and current English. Comparing a couple or a few different translations really helps the reader grasp what's trying to be communicated.

Here are some recommended translations - NIV, NASB, ESV, and The Message (which is a paraphrase, but still a good and trusted resource).

#2.) ESV Study Bible

The ESV Study Bible was created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way—to understand the timeless truth of God’s Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, the ESV Study Bible combines the best and most recent evangelical Christian scholarship with the highly regarded ESV Bible text. The result is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published—with 2,752 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources. 

#3.) Zondervan’s Handbook to the Bible

This helpful book has so many aids to help guide you through Scripture: a section-by-section outline of the Bible, 119 articles, a "Rapid Fact-Finder" to key people, places, events, and teachings, and more. Plus…it has pictures!  Yea for pictures!

#4.) Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary

A Bible dictionary is very important for looking up not only key Biblical terms to help you understand an unfamiliar term, but this Bible dictionary has a vast amount of archaeological & historical data, color pictures (yea!) and maps, outlines and concise summaries for each book of the Bible and information about its authors. 

#5.) How to Read the Bible Book by Book and How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth

By Gordan Fee and Douglas Stuart

OK, so I snuck in two suggestion as one...but this book series helps people to understand the genres of the Bible, how the Bible was translated, the structure and order of the Bible, how to read the Bible as a whole, and more. These are very helpful book by some very sound authors. 

Read, Read, & Re-Read!
The problem for most Christians isn't that they can’t understand what the Bible says, it’s that they don’t read the Bible as much as they could (or should).  Laziness is your biggest enemy in understanding the message of the Bible!

Devote your mind and heart to this book and it will never let you down (Psalm 19:7-14). Its truth is too powerful and its Author are too glorious to ever let that happen!

New FREE Study Bible App

I believe that one of the best ways to start off the New Year is by resolving to have a renewed commitment to a Constant, Lifelong Christian-Learning.  God has blessed us with many resources to assist us in this exciting endeavor!

One of the latest and most recent additions to these wonderful resources is the Faithlife Study Bible App. The FSB connects readers to their communities with the “Read the Bible in a Year” plan. It comes with the remarkably transparent Lexham English Bible translation, plus 1.4 million words in articles and study notes. The free download also includes the 1.6-million-word, 2,800-article Lexham Bible Dictionary; approximately 400 photos, videos and infographics in rich media; and three layers of study notes. The FSB features shared reading plans, notes and documents, smart searches, highlighting and the option to choose from major Bible translations, such as the NIV 2011, NKJV, KJV, ESV, NRSV and NASB95.

Authors Charles Stanley, Timothy Keller, and N.T. Wright are some of the FSB’s many other contributors. The FSB can be accessed anywhere from iPhones, iPads, Android mobile devices, Kindle Fires, Macs, PCs, Logos Bible Software, Vyrso Christian eBooks, Proclaim church presentation software and Bible.Faithlife.com.   

Check it out!

The Importance of Constant, Lifelong Christian-Learning

"Where no attention is given to teaching, and to constant, lifelong Christian learning, people quickly revert to the worldview or mindset of the surrounding culture, and end up with their minds shaped by whichever social pressures are most persuasive, with Jesus somewhere around as a pale influence or memory." ~ Tom Wright, Acts for Everyone, Pt. 1

There are many ways to keep our Christian learning up.  One of the best ways is regular Bible reading.   And it's a great time of the year to mention it.  Getting into the habit of reading the Word daily is a common New Year's resolution for many Christians. There are plenty of Bible reading plans out there that guide you through reading your Bible. You may not even want to read the Bible all the way through, but rather use the year to focus on a specific portion or biblical topic. Find a reading plan that works for you.  

A great place to start - Bible Gateway Reading Plans.

Also, be sure to check out my Bible reading plan. This unique reading plan is something I continue to come back to.  For me, it has worked out wonderfully and I continue to grow in my biblical comprehension of the whole sweeping storyline of the Bible by sticking to this regular reading plan - Grace Church Bible Reading Plan.

It takes discipline to open up the Bible every day. May God enable us to read his Word faithfully.

How Not to Read Your Bible in 2013

What kind of resolutions have you made for 2013?

Getting into the habit of reading the Word daily is a common New Year's resolution for many Christians. There are plenty of Bible reading plans out there that guide you through reading your Bible. You may not even want to read the Bible all the way through, but rather use the year to focus on a specific portion or biblical topic. Find a reading plan that works for you.  

A great place to start - http://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/?version=NIV

Also, be sure to check out my Bible reading plan - Grace Church Bible Reading Plan.

It takes discipline to open up the Bible every day - may God enable us to make 2013 a year of great Bible reading for us!

Matt Smethurst and the Gospel Coalition just posted a great article to help guide us in our Bible reading and Bible reading resolutions for 2013...

How Not to Read Your Bible in 2013

When it comes to daily (or not-so-daily) Bible reading, January 1 can be a welcome arrival. A new year signals a new start. You're motivated to freshly commit to what you know is of indispensable importance: the Word of God. 

Yet this isn't the first time you've felt this way. You were entertaining pretty similar thoughts 365 days ago. And 365 days before that. And 365 days . . . you know how it goes. 

So what's going to make 2013 different? What, under God, will keep you plodding along in April this year when staying power has generally vanished in Aprils of yore? From one stumbling pilgrim to another, here are five suggestions for what not to do in 2013. 

1. Don't Overextend 
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars!"

This hackneyed high school yearbook quote is bad advice for most things, Bible reading plans not excepted. If you shoot for and miss the "moon" of six chapters a day, you won't quietly land among the "stars" of three. You'll just be lost in space. 

It's better to read one chapter a day, every day, than four a day, every now and then. Moreover, the value of meditation cannot be overstressed. Meditation isn't spiritualized daydreaming; it's riveted reflection on revelation. Read less, if you must, to meditate more. It's easy to encounter a torrent of God's truth, but without absorption---and application---you will be little better for the experience. 

As Thomas White once said, "It is better to hear one sermon only and meditate on that, than to hear two sermons and meditate on neither." I think that's pretty sage advice for Scripture reading, too. 

2. Don't Do It Alone
When it comes to Bible reading consistency, a solo sport mentality can be lethal. Surely that's why many run out of gas; they feel like they're running alone. To forestall the dangers of isolation, then, invite one or two others to join you in 2013. Set goals, make a commitment, and hold one another accountable. Turn your personal Scripture reading into a team effort, a community project. 

A daily devotional, too, can function as a helpful companion and guide. D. A. Carson's For the Love of God (Volume 1; Volume 2) and Nancy Guthrie's Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament are two excellent options. 

3. Don't Just Do It Whenever
Every morning we awaken to a fresh deluge of information. We've now reached the point where, I've heard it said, an average weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than Jonathan Edwards encountered in his entire lifetime. I don't know if that's true, but it sure makes me think.

It is imperative, then, to set a specific time each day when you will get alone with God. Even if it's a modest window, guard it with your life. Explain your goal to those closest to you, and invite their help. Otherwise, the tyranny of the urgent will continue to rear its unappeasable head. What is urgent will fast displace what is important, and what is good will supplant what is best. 

If your basic game plan is to read your Bible whenever, chances are you'll read it never. And if you don't control your schedule, your schedule will control you. It's happened to me more times than I care to admit. 

4. Don't Live as if Paul Lied
Did you know Leviticus and Chronicles and Obadiah were written to encourage you? That's what Paul believed, anyway: "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4; cf. 1 Cor. 9:10; 10:6, 11; 2 Tim. 3:16). 

What a sweeping word! Paul is going so far as to claim the entirety of the Old Testament is for you---to instruct you, to encourage you, to help you endure, and to give you hope. 

Few of you will conclude Paul is simply mistaken here. Good evangelicals, after all, are happy to take inspired apostles at their word. But does our approach to our Bibles tell a different story? Do we act as if Numbers or Kings or Nahum has the power to infuse our lives with help and hope? 

Whenever you open your Bible, labor to believe that God has something here to say to me. Whatever I encounter in his Word was written with me, his cherished child, in view. So pursue God's graces on the pages of Scripture this year. Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow everywhere await. 

5. Don't Turn a Means of Grace into a Means of Merit
Your Father's love for you doesn't rise and fall with your quiet times. If you are united to Jesus by faith, the verdict is out, and the court is dismissed. You're as accepted and embraced as the Son himself. Period. 

To be sure, you'll desire to hear and follow his voice if you're truly one of his sheep (John 10:1-30; cf. 8:47; 18:37). Not always and not perfectly, of course, but sincerely and increasingly.

So as another year dawns, commit yourself anew to becoming a man or woman of the Word. But don't overextend, do it alone, just do it whenever, live as if Paul lied, or treat means of grace like means of merit. 

Your Bible is one of God's chief gifts to you in 2013. Open, read, ruminate, and obey. May you be ever transformed into the image of our incarnate King, and may he alone receive the acclaim.

Twenty Myths about Bible Translations

Daniel Wallace, author of Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, has been blogging about some popular myths on the subject of Bible translations.

Myths like: a word-for-word translation is the best kind, modern translations have removed words and verses from the Bible, and words in red indicate the exact words spoken by Jesus.

You can read what Wallace thinks about these myths, along with many others, in his posts Fifteen Myths about Bible Translation and Five More Myths about Bible Translations.

The Whole Sweep of Scripture - How to Read the Bible

The Whole Sweep of Scripture from Grace Church of Dunedin on Vimeo.