Maranatha Teachings

Considering that the Scriptures were written and edited by approximately thirty-five different writers and other unknown persons under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over the course of roughly 1600 years, familiarity with the biblical background of the text is crucial to our understanding and interpretation of it. We introduce the subject in this episode and discuss methods of discovering and applying the cultural context of holy writ.

Have you ever heard that "apostle" means "sent one"? How about "the church are the 'called our' or agape is the highest form of love? These were understandings that I carried for decades, not knowing that their conclusions came to me via a faulty road. In this episode, we discuss common ways of examining Scriptures that pull them out of context and thus from their intended meaning. Join us for this lively how-not-to discussion.

In this episode, we examine how reviewing words and ideas across the body of work of a particular author in Scripture can help us understand their meaning. In this sharing, we put a spotlight on Paul's use of "wrath" in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and John's use of "life" in John 10:10.

Like any skilled writer, Matthew finishes his book in a way that capstones all that he told before. In this episode, we explore the solid bullet points in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) in light of Matthew's entire Gospel. If you are not accustomed to (and even if you are) reading Matthew as an independent book, the consistency of the themes may surprise you. Join us as we launch down this fast-paced and practical review of the first book in the New Testament canon.

John 3:16 is perhaps the most widely used evangelistic verse in the New Testament. In light of John's entire Gospel, what does it mean to believe in Jesus? Join us as we examine John's exposition of faith and the various types of "believers" Jesus encountered and what he required of them and ultimately of us.

In this dynamic episode, we examine who "the least of these my brothers" (Matt. 25:40) are in light of the context of the entire book of Matthew. Give a listen as we discuss the benefits of reading aloud, review some of the history of how Scripture was published, and gain clarified insight into the meaning of Jesus's prophetic Olivet Discourse as recorded by Matthew.

In this dynamic session, we grapple with three very familiar verses and concepts: the fire baptism in Matt. 3:11, the cattle on a thousand hills in Ps. 50:10, and the thief in John 10:10. What do these verses mean in the paragraph and portion context of where they appear. If you like me learned these verses as proof texts of particular ideas, the answers may surprise you.

This episode begins an equipping series on improving our study of the Scriptures through contextual understanding. Using Dr. Craig Keener's helpful guide, The Bible in Its Context: How to Improve Your Study of the Scriptures, we begin to examine the pitfalls of building beliefs and understanding based on proof texts and word studies alone. Join us as we through contextual reading unravel the apparent contradiction between Romans 3:28 (one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law) and James 2:24 (a person is justified by works and not by faith alone).

In our concluding episode on the Apostles' Creed, we unpack the Christian hope contained in the declaration that we believe in "the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." Join us in this lively, insightful, and powerful discussion on the realities of forgiveness, the transformative nature of the resurrection, and our eternal embodied future in a redeemed and renewed creation.

Regardless the number of denominations and multiplicity of houses of worship, the church of Jesus Christ is singular. He is the head and we are his body. We are called to eagerly maintain the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace. But why are there divisions and what is truly heresy? And why do we call it "church" anyway? Join us as we discuss the words in the creed, "I believe in . . . the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints."