The importance of the how
A very striking observation from Alec Motyer on James 3:13-14:
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New Testament
James 2: Faith and Works
A few quotations from Douglas Moo's Commentary on the book of James to fill in a bit more background to the material we looked at during Kemsing's Useful! service on the second half of James 2.
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Rejoice in the Lord always
Why not join me in being built up by reading Peter Leithart's exhortation on Paul's instruction to rejoice in the Lord always. Always? Yes - always. …
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Caird on Luke's birth narrative
G B Caird is helpful, as ever, in his comments on Luke's account of the birth of Jesus:
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The Purpose of Philippians
I'm greatly enjoying spending some time in Paul's letter to the Philippians, in preparation for the first of our new quarterly combined services. The two churches (Kemsing and Woodlands) will come together for a shared Communion service 4 times a year. I am really looking forward to the occasion. In many respects, the two churches are very different. However the riches we share in Christ are many, and this quarterly celebration will be the chance to rejoice in that and to commit afresh to serving together in holding out the word of Christ.
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Not so with you
R T France is very helpful on what Jesus expects of his disciples. He comments on Mark 10:
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Why is Mark 6:14-29 in Mark's gospel?
Why is Mark 6:14-29 in Mark's gospel?
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Mark 6:14-29 and the book of Esther
I thought the reference in Mark 6:23 to "up to half my kingdom" sounded familiar. Sure enough, the phrase also occurs in Esther 5:3 and Esther 7:2.
That got me thinking.
In the book of Esther we have a king with an extravagant party who makes an oath to depose his queen, which would be (for her) a kind of death. He promises a girl up to half of his kingdom, and then executes somebody because it is effectively what that girl asked for. We have someone (Haman), who has the king's ear, asking for the people of God to be put to death. Sound familiar?
12 years and Mark chapter 5
R T France thinks that, in looking for links between the story of the raising of Jairus's daughter and the healing of a bleeding woman, recourse to the detail of “12 years” is “a counsel of despair” (page 235, fn 20).
Interesting, Larry Hurtado does not agree. From page 88 of his commentary:
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