The Christian Message

  The term “Abraham’s bosom” is found only once in the New Testament, in the story of the  rich man and Lazarus  ( Luke 16:19-31 ), in which Jesus was teaching about the reality of heaven and hell. “Abraham’s bosom” in this story is also translated “Abraham’s side” (NIV, ESV), “next to Abraham” (CEV), “with Abraham” (NLT), and “the arms of Abraham” (NCV). These various translations speak to the enigmatic nature of the Greek word  kolpos . All these translations are attempting to convey the sense that Lazarus went to a place of rest, contentment, and peace, almost as though Abraham (a highly revered person in Jewish history) was the protector or patron. In a sad contrast, the rich man finds himself in torment with no one to help, assist, or console him. Contrary to some contemporary thought, the Bible does teach that both heaven and hell are real places. Each person who lives will spend eternity in one of these two places. These two destinies are portrayed in Jesus’ s...

  The Beginning of Knowledge Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: The Value of a Father's Wisdom Proverbs 1   8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,   9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.   10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.   11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;   12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;   13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;   14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—   15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,   16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.   17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,   18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they ...

What is the significance of the city of Rome in the Bible? Rome is not mentioned in the Old Testament but figures prominently in the New Testament. Although the city of Rome is not often directly mentioned, every place and event in the New Testament has a Roman rule as its background. Rome came to prominence in what is called the  intertestamental period —the roughly 400 years between Old and New Testaments. During that time Israel was under the thumb of Greek rulers, gained independence for a brief period of time, and then came under the control of the  Roman Empire . The city of Rome ruled most of the Mediterranean world at that time. Within the empire, there were citizens of Rome, who had special protections, and then everyone else, who were more or less conquered peoples and did not have the same protections. Simply living within the borders of the Roman Empire did not make one a citizen of Rome. It was a decree from Rome, by Emperor Caesar Augustus, that moved Mary and Jo...

  The Parables Of Jesus The Leaven (Mt 13:33) INTRODUCTION 1. Our previous study examined “The Parable Of The Mustard Seed” - Mt 13:31-32      a. Where the kingdom is depicted as having remarkable growth, despite humble beginnings      b. Perhaps the parable was told by Jesus to reassure His disciples... 1) That their involvement in the kingdom would not be for naught 2) Especially after hearing two parables in which we see not all would receive the Word properly, and Satan’s efforts to hinder the growth of the kingdom would be noticeable 2. Another parable that seems to have the same purpose of reassurance now follows...      a. Found in Mt 13:33      b. This has become known as “The Parable Of The Leaven” (READ) 3. Immediately we can see similarities to “The Parable Of The Mustard Seed”      a. Both are quite brief, with no explanations by Jesus recorded      b. Both appear to be describing ...