The Sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:38-42)
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...
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is a declaration of faith stated by the church fathers on the Council of Constantinople (381 AD). This creed is an extended update of the Nicene Creed (325 AD). The purpose of the creed is to define orthodox Christianity against sentiments of heretical groups...
Peter's love for Jesus - Peter do you love me? (John 21:15-19)
After Jesus meets fishing disciples in Galilee, a short story follows narrating a dialog between Peter and Jesus. This is the third encounter of Jesus with his disciples after the resurrection. The story begins with arranging the event after finishing their meal (ἠρίστησαν [éristésan]). Jesus...
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle to the Romans was always drawing considerable attention among theologians. For example, it was this epistle which significantly contributed to conversion of Augustine, to Martin Luther's discovery of justification by faith or was used by Karl Barth to form manifesto of dialectical...
Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
Matthew 25:14-30 communicates a significant theological message about the importance of utilizing one's gifts and resources to glorify God and serve others. In the parable, a master entrusts his servants with varying amounts of talents (an ancient unit of currency) before going on a journey. Upon...
What is Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
This text is sometimes called "heroes of faith" and contains one of the most known verses of the Bible: "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1). Surely this text has something to say about what the faith is. This text helps us to realize...
Baptism and Testing of Jesus (Mark 1:9-13)
Mark 1:9-13 describes the baptism and temptation of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark binds these two events causally close. The story in this passage highlights Jesus' identity as the Son of God and his ability to resist the temptation of Satan. The role of the Holy Spirit, which descends on Jesus upon...
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16)
The story of Cain and Abel is the first following right after the events of the fall. The story of the fall is full of despair and fear of the uncertain future. Humanity lost everything: relationships (God and among themselves), home, and future. However, here a new story begins with a bright and...
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John, one of the four canonical Gospels in the Christian Bible, presents a unique and deeply theological portrayal of Jesus Christ, distinct from the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This book emphasizes Jesus' divine nature and his role as the Son of God, offering a...
David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-12:31)
This text narrates the story of King David's adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and the subsequent events leading to Uriah's death. After learning of Bathsheba's pregnancy, David attempts to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah back from battle to sleep with his wife. When this...
Groups and Classes of People in the New Testament
The New Testament era was a period of rich cultural diversity, marked by a mosaic of social classes, religious sects, and political entities. This tapestry of society set the stage for the rise of Christianity amidst various tensions and interactions among these groups. Religious and Cultural...
Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 19:23-20:16)
Everyone is naturally content when other people treat him in a fair way. Unfortunately this view is not shared by everyone. One is quite used to that. But what in the case when God acts this way? Jesus is telling a parable about how things works in his kingdom (Mt 20:1). He tells it in context...
Righteousness Through Faith (Romans 3:21-31)
Romans 3:24 speaks about "redemption that came by Christ Jesus". We do not event think about that, but this redemption has on its background very strong ancient contextual image. Redemption is not just ordinary synonym for salvation, but it concerns literal redeeming of a slave (there is a Greek...
Concerning Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40)
The whole discourse on spiritual gifts is one of the most controversial sections in the entire Bible. The study of the original text and employment of literary criticisms open the text in a different way than usually done on the popular level. We would like to point out one particular emphasis...
Call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-9)
God is calling Abraham as an origin of new people of God, who will know true God and worship Him. These people will be founded upon trust in promises given by Lord. The whole abrahamic narrative will be about test of this trust. God is sending Abraham out of his birth land to a...
Passover (Exodus 12:1-51)
The celebration of Passover or Pesach in Exodus 12 is one of the most important parts of the whole Bible. It commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. In this text, the significant word form is the verb פָּסַח [pāsaḥ]. Its first occurrence is at Ex 12:13 (in the form of...
New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-22:5)
God's temple is one of the great stories throughout Bible (Gen 1-3; Ex 25-42; 1 Kings 6-9; Ez 40-48; John 1; 15; Rev 21-22). Therefore it is natural that we are encountering it in the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation 21:1-22:5. Here again, as in the whole book of Revelation,...
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet (John 13:1-20)
The begining of thirteen chapter of the gospel of John speaks about paschal dinner. However John is not focusing on primary aspects of paschal dinner but concentrates our attention to feet washing, which is unexpected. This event is taking place in the perspective of Jesus' death (John 13:1.3).
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles’ Creed is one of the most known summaries of the Christian faith. Its purpose was to publicly declare, teach and defend the Christian faith. Its significance was also important during the baptism to confess a personal faith. The creed has a trinitarian structure, divided into three...
Small Historical Creed (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)
In summary the text is trying to communicate this advice or warning: Remember what the Lord has done. It is all based on the question the Lord is suggesting that future generations will ask: "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?" (Dt...