Apocalypse of John (Revelation)
Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16)
The term Armageddon is widely known, mainly thanks to the contemporary popculture, to denote fatal apocalyptic images of destruction. The word is drawn from the Bible, however, seeing it a bit differently. Armageddon is a transliteration of Greek word Ἁρμαγεδών which appears only in one place in...
Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good (Psalm 136)
This is a responsive psalm where the community answers back to the deeds of praise on God. The first topic is the creation for which God receives the praise. The following topic is the Exodus and the way to the Promised land. These are the main events in the history of God's people, in which the...
Wisdom’s Call (Proverbs 8:1-9:18)
The proverb accounts the Wisdom as a direct witness to the creation. She was there and saw the act. Therefore the Wisdom also precedes the existence of the creation. The Wisdom is the one who mediates between God and humans. In the book of Proverbs, God is a somewhat distant deity. He does not...
Doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29)
The short narrative of John 20:24-29 is commonly known under the title “Doubting Thomas.” Generally, it is the Gospel of John (John 11:16; 14:5) which mostly deal with the character of Thomas and especially in the case of this narration where he becomes the model of a doubting man endlessly....
Resurrection Creed (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 is considered to be an early church's creed. It expresses recorded oral tradition of the resurrection of Jesus. Yet brief, it is very deep. These particular points are stressed: fulfilling of the Scriptures, confirming the reality of the resurrection, and that Christ is both...
Greek: Frequency Vocabulary (8-6 Occurrences)
The exercise contains words that occur between 8 to 6 times in the New Testament. Mastering this vocabulary will increase your ability for a more fluent reading of the New Testament in the Greek language.
Greek: Frequency Vocabulary (11-9 Occurrences)
The exercise contains words that occur between 11 to 9 times in the New Testament. Mastering this vocabulary will increase your ability for a more fluent reading of the New Testament in the Greek language.
Greek: Frequency Vocabulary (19-12 Occurrences)
The exercise contains words that occur between 19 to 12 times in the New Testament. Mastering this vocabulary will increase your ability for a more fluent reading of the New Testament in the Greek language.
Greek: Frequency Vocabulary (49-20 Occurrences)
The exercise contains words that occur between 49 to 20 times in the New Testament. Mastering this vocabulary will increase your ability for a more fluent reading of the New Testament in the Greek language.
Catechesis (education and teaching)
The ultimate goal of Christian catechesis is to prepare believers for holy life in Christ Jesus and preserve them for the day of salvation. The primary biblical tools to achieve this task are God's Word (2 Timothy 3:13), Mercy (Titus 2:11-13), and Law (Exodus 20; Matthew 5-7).
Pastoral Care (Cure of Souls)
The term pastoral care comes from latin cura animarum and from the activity itself. This ministry reflects Jesus' pastoral attributes in practical service to the world (neighbors). It is based on texts such as Matthew 22:37-40 or Matthew 25:35-40. Its primary goal is ministry towards Christians to...
Announcement of Judgement over Egypt (Exodus 7:1-7)
God has commanded Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. However, Pharaoh does not comply with such a demand. Pharaoh's uncooperative mind is partly the work of God which is mentioned many times throughout the whole discourse (Ex 7:3-4). The plagues are not meant to be disasters in...
Rule of Faith (Regula Fidei)
The rule of faith is kind of a summary statement. It incorporates a set of doctrines based on Scripture. It was especially used as a unity statement in order to define Christianity (i.e. against gnostics), as a exegetical base, or as a baptismal formula. It can be found in various forms among the...
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is a declaration of faith stated by the church fathers on the Council of Nicaea (325 AD). This is the first creed solving crucial doctrinal issues and church disunity. The content of the creed is following: Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων...
Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
Matthew 25:1-13 is the Parable of the Ten Virgins, which is part of Jesus' teachings in the Olivet Discourse. In this parable, ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom (symbolizing Jesus) to arrive for a wedding banquet. Five of them are wise and bring extra oil for their lamps, while the other...
Exaltation of Christ (Philippians 2:6-11)
This passage is considered to be a fragment of an early Christian hymn. Such hymns existed in order to honor and praise God. There is, of course, a pastoral frame around the hymn. The function of the hymn here is to persuade and motivate Philippian Christians to imitate Christ in his humbleness...
Christ’s Supremacy in Cosmos and Atonement (Colossians 1:15-20)
The hymn of Colossians 1:15-20 focuses on the agency of Christ in the creation of all that is. The flow of the text is interrupted by the hymn in the change of the personal pronouns from the first and second person (I, you) to the third person (he). In the end, It is then resumed back to previously...