September 7, 2017
Philemon is a brief letter with only 335 words in the Greek text, and it appears in the New Testament without any specific context. Philemon and Onesimus, the main characters in the letter’s story, are unknown elsewhere in the New Testament. Many, if not most of the details, are lost to us as readers to […]
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Uncategorized | Tagged: Christ, Christology, Gospel, Messiah, Narrative, Philemon |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
June 19, 2015
Mount Sinai must have been an impressive, even startling, sight. Enveloped in darkness with flashes of lightning, Israel heard the thunder and even, on one occasion, the voice of God. They felt the rumblings of God’s presence in tremors that rippled through the earth’s crust. This was Yahweh’s holy mountain. Yahweh descended upon it, and […]
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Biblical Texts | Tagged: Advent, Exodus 40, Holy Spirit, Indwelling, Messiah, Pentecost, Tabernacle, Temple, Wilderness |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
August 14, 2013
Psalm 1 counseled wisdom. Worshippers, as they pray, mediate and sing the Psalms, align themselves with the way of righteousness. Psalm 2 assures these worshippers that Yahweh reigns and even the nations must ultimately submit to the God of Israel. Psalm 2, then, as a further introduction to the Psalter, grounds the worship of and […]
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Biblical Texts | Tagged: Assembly, Christology, Kingdom of God, Messiah, Psalm 2, Psalms, Psalter, Worship |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
May 15, 2012
The “behold” of Zechariah 14:1 (untranslated by the NIV) begins the second section of Zechariah’s second “oracle” (Zechariah 12-14). The first Section (Zechariah 12-13) was structured around the “day of the Lord” when God will renew covenant with Israel, defend Jerusalem, pour out the divine Spirit of grace, and cleanse the house of David from […]
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Biblical Texts | Tagged: Bible-Zechariah, Eschatology, Jerusalem, Judah, Kingdom of God, Messiah, Zechariah 14:1-15 |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
December 23, 2011
Part III, the shortest, is humanity’s response to God’s redemptive act and is focused on the hope of resurrection which leads to a final praise of the Lamb. Handel ends his Messiah with the praise of the reigning King, a slain Lamb. Handel weaves together texts from Job, 1 Corinthians and Revelation. He uses the […]
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Theology | Tagged: Eschatology, Handel, Hope, Kingdom of God, Messiah, Resurrection |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
December 22, 2011
Part II begins with the passion of Jesus through his resurrection to his exaltation as reigning Lord. At the end of this section is a missional proclamation: Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Handel weaves together texts from John, Isaiah, Psalms, Lamentations, Romans and Revelation to tell this story. He uses the […]
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Theology | Tagged: Cross, Hallelujah Chorus, Handel, Kingdom of God, Lament, Messiah, Nations, Sorrow |
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Posted by John Mark Hicks