Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
The short book of Jude, contains many examples to illuminate the main theme of his letter (concerning ungodly people in the church). However, some of these illustrations fail to accomplish that goal for us in our world today. They are more cryptic than clarifying. The first is in verse 9, where Jude talks about the […]
In Jude’s letter, he warns Jesus’ followers to be on the alert for ungodly people in the church. After detailing their characteristics, Jude tucks in a bit of advice at the end of his letter. Implicitly, it is his recommendations on how followers of Jesus can avoid being ungodly, offering three prescriptions to promote godliness: […]
The book of Jude in the Bible is a short letter that is tucked in the back, just before Revelation. Add to this the fact that it is a bit confusing with obscure references. In addition, Jude meanders his way through his message with many distracting examples and illustrations. Given all this, it is little […]
The apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia about being “crucified with Christ.” In his letter to the church in Corinth, he states, “You are in Christ.” That is a hard concept for me to grasp, yet, the phrase “in Christ” occurs some 90 times in the Bible. It appears in about half of the […]
In studying the short letter to Philemon, we’ve looked at the central players of Paul (the author), Philemon (the recipient), and Onesimus (the subject). There are also brief mentions of eight others: Timothy, Apphia, Archippus, Epaphras, Aristarchus, Luke, John-Mark, and Demas. The foundational character, however, is Jesus. He is mentioned more often than any other […]
In the story surrounding Paul’s letter to Philemon, there are three central characters: Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus. Since the letter is written to Philemon, let’s talk about him first. Despite having a letter written to him, Philemon is only mentioned by name once in the Bible. It is in the book that bears his name. […]
Influence Future Generations Despite King David’s many failings, God refers to him as “a man after my own heart.” A few generations prior, Ruth makes a bold statement of commitment to her mother-in-law and by extension to the God that mom serves. Ruth declares, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I […]
Do you aspire to be meek? Not likely. Who would? When I think of meek, I think of spineless, compliant, and easily imposed upon. While that is a correct understanding of what it is to be meek, it is also the secondary definition for the word. The first definition for meek is patient, humble, gentle, […]
In the Song of Songs, the girl reveals something personal. She is self-conscious about the dark tones of her skin (from spending too much time in the sun, she says). She doesn’t want others to stare. Yet the friends in this story want to do just that. They admire her uniqueness and ask to gaze […]
I have heard some claim that if you follow Jesus, all your problems will be solved and life will become an idyllic and blissful existence. While I suppose that could be the case, I don’t reach that conclusion when I read my Bible. In one of the more obscure passages, this is shown figuratively in […]