PHall | July 26, 2019
There are days I wish I could spend doing nothing else than seeing the structures, including the chiastic structures, within the Bible. (ASV) A – TIME CREATED: 1) In the beginning B – PHYSICAL DUALITY: God created the heavens and the earth. C – DISORDER: 2) And the earth was waste and void; D – […]
Category: Matthew, II Corinthians, Genesis |
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Tags: Chiasm
PHall | July 25, 2019
Fundamental Misunderstandings of the Golden Rule Do we have a fundamental misconception of one of Jesus’s fundamental “rules”?“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is another way of phrasing the 2nd Great Command – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The difference between them is “love” is worded as action – “do”. First […]
Category: Matthew |
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PHall | July 19, 2019
Before reading the text understand the following:1. A disciple is a student. 2. Students are taught.3. Students are taught what the teacher teaches.4. Teachers teach what they are authorized to teach.All of that is straight forward. Students in a math class are taught math, not biology; that’s what the teacher is paid to teach. Again straight […]
Category: Matthew |
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Tags: Baptism, Chiasm
PHall | July 15, 2019
Bookends of Matthew:The beginning is the end, Immanuel means “God with us” and Jesus concludes with, “I am with you.” So are there other connections between Matthew 1 and 28?1. Beginning: Jesus as the Son of Abraham/David vs End: Jesus as the Son of God.2. Beginning: Jesus the descendant of those “Fathered”, although not fathered […]
Category: Matthew |
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PHall | May 31, 2019
Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (CSB)Is Jesus saying we cannot be forgiven unless we forgive? Yes! But do we know why? Let’s go beyond the theological debates and get […]
Category: Matthew |
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Tags: Sermon on the Mount
PHall | May 1, 2019
Becoming accustomed through familiarity can cause us to stop thinking. Seeing over and over again – through countless sermons, and even refrigerator magnets – Jesus begin the Lord’s Prayer with “Our Father”; we have become accustomed to the shock: the Almighty Creator, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, the All-everything is “our Father.” But have we missed something […]
Category: Matthew |
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Tags: Sermon on the Mount
PHall | April 29, 2019
When instituting the Lord’s supper during the Passover, did Jesus give any emphasis or meaning to using one container? Admittedly, there is no doubt Jesus used a physical cup, just Jesus used a table (Matthew 26:20). Both a table and cup are used in 1 Corinthians, where Paul uses them metaphorically (i.e. employing metonymy), meaning […]
Category: Matthew, I Corinthians |
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Tags: The Lord's Supper
PHall | April 5, 2019
A friend of mine and brother in Christ believes the “cup” mentioned in the Lord’s supper is the container. First I will present his brief argument, and then present my longer rebuttal: “I hear people say that the text never tells us how many cups they used at the institution of the Lord’s Supper… “Then […]
Category: Matthew, Mark, Luke, I Corinthians |
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PHall | April 5, 2019
What story is this? It is a beginning and an end. Emphasis on 3rd day. Appearance of God on 3rd day. Appearance on the morning of the 3rd day. The scene is closely guarded. No touching allowed. The Lord descended. Earth quake Lightening God speaks If you said God’s appearance on Mt. Sinai, you would […]
Category: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Exodus |
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PHall | December 11, 2018
Old Creation vs New Creation Contrast: In old creation Adam and Eve were given authority over heaven (sky) and earth. They were to rule and subdue; in other words to bring the earth and its inhabitants into bondage – the meaning of kabash/subdue (Genesis 1:28). In new creation the last Adam, Jesus, is given all […]
Category: Matthew, Bible, Genesis |
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