Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
Paul uses a curious phrase in his letter to the Philippian church. He talks about “the Spirit of Jesus.” Paul writes of his confidence that he will realize deliverance because of the Philippian church’s prayers and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. In another place Doctor Luke writes in Acts that as Paul travels to tell […]
When I say giving birth to Jesus, I’m not talking about Mary in a Bethlehem stable, birthing our savior into this world in human form. Instead I’m referring to birthing Jesus in a spiritual sense, of giving him to others. When Paul writes to the church in the city of Galatia he uses an intriguing […]
When the Bible instructs us to “Fear God,” it means to honor, worship, and reverence him. That’s a holy fear, not a terrifying one. We need to fear God in that way, but we need not cower in fear if we encounter him. Matthew’s biography of Jesus tells how the Jewish leaders arrest Jesus and […]
In the Old Testament, the people perceive the temple as God’s dwelling place here on earth. Therefore, to approach God they need to go to the temple. They worship God there and no place else. The God in the Old Testament commands it. In the temple hangs a thick, heavy veil (curtain) that separates the […]
Love God and Love Others In the Old Testament God gives hundreds of commands for his people to follow. We call this the Law or the Law of Moses (since God gives it to Moses to tell to the people). But over time the people add more rules to it, some 20,000 more. They call […]
Getting into Heaven is Impossible Without God A rich man asks Jesus how to get to heaven. The man reels off a list of all he’s done, of all of God’s commands that he’s kept. He waits for Jesus to affirm him, but deep down he knows he still falls short. “What else must I […]
We Shouldn’t Be Scared When it Comes to God Matthew writes about Jesus sending out his disciples to tell others about him. In the middle of his lengthy instructions, he simply reminds them, “Do not be afraid.” That’s good to know. He is about to send them out by themselves to do something risky. After […]
Can an Actionless Faith Save You? There are some people who try to earn their way into heaven. They do good and obey God’s commands—at least most of them anyway. They work hard their entire life to get God’s attention. Surely when their time comes, God will throw open the doors to heaven. With a […]
The phrase “the abomination that causes desolation” occurs five times in the Bible. Daniel mentions it three times in his prophecies of future events (Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, and Daniel 12:11). People speculate what he means—such as the destruction of the temple or something foreshadowing the end of the world—but whatever the interpretation, the important […]
Consider What Jesus Modeled Religious leaders in the Bible often criticize Jesus. It’s understandable. He and his teaching confront the comfortable sacred niche they enjoy in their society. They have a good thing going, and they want to hang on to it. Jesus threatens their status quo, so they attack him. In one instance they […]