Signs of Jesus' Second Coming (Mark 13:1-37)
Christology (study of Christ)
The New Testament Christology studies the nature and significance of the person of Jesus Christ. Especially prominent is the understanding of Christological titles in the NT and their variations or emphasis among NT authors. The most important of these titles is the Messiah and the Son of God. In...
Teaching about Divorce (Matthew 19:1-12)
Matthew 19:1-12 recounts Jesus' teachings on marriage and divorce, emphasizing the sacredness of marital bonds and the importance of upholding the original intent of God's design for marriage. The passage begins with the Pharisees testing Jesus by asking whether it is lawful for a man to divorce...
Leprosy: Regulations About Defiling Skin (Leviticus 13:1-46)
The Leviticus 13-14 presents the major discussion of צָרַעַת (zaraʻat) meaning "skin disease" traditionally associated with leprosy. According to today's scientific findings, however, the entity causing leprosy is bacillus Mycobacterium leprae (Hansen's disease). Therefore, today the agreement...
Hebrew: Frequency Vocabulary (49-30 Occurrences)
The exercise contains words that occur between 49 to 30 times in the Old Testament. Mastering this vocabulary will increase your ability for a more fluent reading of the Old Testament in the Hebrew language.
Cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13-22)
The story of Cleansing of the Temple seems to be presenting Jesus in a violent way. In this way, we are not used to imagining him. What happened to the kind and loving Jesus, the Lord of love? It is challenging to find a balance between these pictures. To understand the story we need a little help...
Apocalypse of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1-3)
The first three verses of the Apocalypse of John compose an introduction to the whole book. We are introduced to the main agenda, expectation, and form of the book. The first and foremost information we are confronted with is “revelation (ἀποκάλυψις [apokalypsis])” (Rev 1:1). This Greek word...
The Testimony of Jesus' Acts (Luke 1:1-4)
The prologue to the Gospel of Luke highlights the author's aim to provide a trustworthy and orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Luke, a physician and companion of the Apostle Paul, seeks to compile an accurate record based on the testimonies of those who were eyewitnesses and...
Coptic Alphabet
The Coptic alphabet is the script used for writing the Coptic language, the liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and is the final stage of the Egyptian language. The Coptic alphabet is an adaptation of the Greek alphabet, with the addition of some characters borrowed from the ancient...
Millennium: Destruction of the dragon and the enemies (Revelation 20:1-15)
The section of 20:1-15 could be labeled in various ways. If we choose the title Millennium, our perspective will focus on the part of the events described in relation to this frame. The text speaks of a period of one thousand ears in regard to heavenly kingdom and its earthly realization during the...
Adoption (Romans 8:14-17)
Verses of Romans 8:14-17 open one of the essential Pauline theological themes that we call adoption. In these verses, Paul develops his thesis from Romans 8 about the implications of the presence of the Holy Spirit in Christian life. One of the outcomes is the interconnection of God and people and...
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
Magnificat refers to a hymn that Mary pronounces before the birth of Jesus Christ. The name "Magnificat" is based on the first word from the first verse in the Latin translation: "Magnificat anima mea Dominum (My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord)" (Luke 1:46).
Song of Zechariah: The Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)
Benedictus refers to a hymn of thanksgiving that Zechariah pronounces during the circumcision of John the Baptist. The name "Benedictus" is based on the first word from the first verse in the Latin translation: "Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel (Blessed be the Lord God of Israel)" (Luke 1:68).
Song of Simeon: Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32)
Nunc dimittis refers to a hymn that Simeon pronounces when seeing a Messiah as he was promised by the Holy Spirit before his death comes. The name "Nunc dimittis" is based on the first two words from the first verse in the Latin translation: "Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum...