Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…
Many years ago, while perusing Janice Anderson’s revised doctoral dissertation, Matthew’s Narrative Web: Over, and Over, and Over again , I was impressed by her attention to literary structures of repetition within and across Matthew’s Gospel. 1 Her research, in part, nudged me closer toward my present conviction that Matthew…
Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…
“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the maidens… My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures among the lilies.” Song 2:2, 16 In chapter two of the Song of Solomon, the Beloved compares his Love to a lily among thorns. The language of…
Introduction From the very beginning, angels and animals have played mediating roles between God and Man. Just as the World was made three-tiered (Heaven, Earth, Deep), so the creatures were made (Angels, Men, Animals). Before Christ came to build the permanent bridge across the chasm between God and Man, various…
Matthew 13, the third major discourse of the apostle’s gospel, is comprised almost entirely of parables. While it may seem that all the parables serve the same purpose in fulfilling the prophet Isaiah (Matthew 13:14), the parables found in verses 44–52, at the very least, function outside that purpose. This…
Showing page 3 of 309
Showing page 7 of 43
The hymn in praise of Solomon’s wisdom at the end of 1 Kings 4 makes a number of points. First, Solomon?s wisdom is rooted in his ?heart?E(v. 29), which has the discernment that the Lord had promised him. Second, Solomon?s wisdom matches the breadth of his kingdom. He had asked…
The hymn in praise of Solomon’s wisdom at the end of 1 Kings 4 makes a number of points. First, Solomon?s wisdom is rooted in his ?heart?E(v. 29), which has the discernment that the Lord had promised him. Second, Solomon?s wisdom matches the breadth of his kingdom. He had asked…
At a number of points, the names of the deputies or the place names listed in 1 Ki 4:7-19 are linked with terms that are used in the temple narratives in 1 Kings 6-8. Elonbeth-hanan, or Elon Beth-hanan, uses a form of EYL, one form of which means ?gatepost?E(1 Ki…
I started this article some time ago, and will never be able to finish it off. It may be of some use in its present form, however. Justification and sacramental theology were the chief doctrinal issues in the division between Roman Catholicism and the Reformers at the time of the…
The real mother in 1 Kings 3 displays a sort of Abrahamic quality: She is willing to give up her son, her only son, the son she loves, in hopes of saving him. And she gets back more than she hoped: She not only saves his life, but heads home…
James condemns those who use tongues for blessing and cursing ?Eblessing God, and cursing men made in the image of God. Among the images he uses to express this is the image of the tree and fruit. Fig trees cannot product olives, nor vines produce figs (3:12). In many passages,…
Showing page 2057 of 2212
Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.
