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Women and the Book of Genesis

I am often asked the question: why doesn’t the Bible condemn men marrying multiple wives?  The Book of Genesis in particular can seem problematic, especially in today’s culture that is sensitive to an overtly male-dominated perspective.  The Bible is often attacked for appearing to make women less important than men. The reality is far from the truth.  It is true that the Bible clearly gives different roles to men and women.  In marriage, the man is given the role of leader and provider.  He answers to God for his marriage, and he is the head of his wife.  However, this does not mean that the wife is less important than the husband.  Just as the church is prized and immensely valued by Christ, so the wife should prized and valued by her husband.  In fact, 1 Peter 3:7 tells husbands to show honor to their wives, for they are fellow heirs of the grace of God.  If they neglect to show honor to their wives, their prayers will be hindered!  Think about that!  God will not lis
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Paul's Secret

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 3:11-13 Paul has a secret for us. He was speaking to the Philippians here, and he is thanking them for sending him some material support, most likely financial in form.  He is thankful they sent him some help, but he wanted to make something clear.  Although he rejoiced when he received their gift, he did not want them to think that he was desperate for it.  He was not necessarily rejoicing because he needed the gift.  He was rejoicing because it showed that the Philippian church was concerned for him; he knew they loved him. How can Paul, a traveling missionary, who said in another passage that he was c
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Last Words of Jesus, Part Seven

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46 Jesus had revealed His love by praying for the forgiveness of the very soldiers who nailed Him to the cross.  He offered the hope of salvation to the criminal next to Him.  He made sure His mother was take care of.  He expressed the agony of being spiritually separated from God while bearing the weight of our sin.  He fulfilled prophecy by asking for a drink.  And finally, He mightily declared that the debt was paid, and it was finished.  Now, Jesus was about to breathe his last. No man took Jesus life from Him; instead, He laid it down.  This last statement shows Jesus willingly giving up His life.  He committed His spirit to the Father, and He died. This too was a reference to Psalms.  In Psalm 31:5, it says, "Into Your hand I commit My spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth." What did Jesus
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Last Words of Jesus, Part Six

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19:30 In Return of the King,  when the one ring is at last thrown into the great fires of Mt. Doom, Frodo, who carried this burden all the way to its end, simply gasps and says, "It's done."  There were no other words to say.  It's done.  The journey was accomplished.  The mission was fulfilled.  The work was finished. On the cross, at the end of His great work and life and ministry and mission, He shouts, "It is finished!" What was finished? First of all, prophecy was fulfilled.  When Jesus declared that He was thirsty, John 19:28 tells us that He did this because all things had already been accomplished.  Everything that the Old Testament said would happen to the Messiah up to that point, had happened.  The Scriptures were fulfilled.  He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).  His
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Last Words of Jesus, Part Five

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty."  A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. John 19:28-29 Today is Good Friday.  It is the day we remember as that day Jesus Christ died on the cross.  We have covered four of the things Jesus said while on the cross, and today we look at another saying.  It is fitting that this fifth saying lands on Good Friday, because most of us associate crucifixion with intense physical pain.  And Jesus' saying today focuses on that physical element. Jesus said that He was thirsty.  There are three things to consider with this statement. 1. This fulfilled prophecy. In Psalm 22:15, David writes, "My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death."  Psalm 22 is the Psalm of the C
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Last Words of Jesus, Part Four

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:46 The first three things Jesus said reveal His outgoing love for those around Him, despite all that He was suffering.  Today, we look at the spiritual pain Jesus was experiencing on the cross.  This fourth saying is a quote from Psalm 22:1.  Some scholars think that only the first line was recorded, but Jesus may have quoted the entire Psalm.  However, all we know for certain is that He said this line.  I believe that Matthew specifically included the Hebrew lines in order to draw attention to the Psalm, which was originally written in Hebrew.  Jesus also spoke this line in Hebrew instead of Greek, for those around Him heard "Eli" and thought He was calling Elijah.  They did not understand the relation to the Psalm. (In both Hebrew and Greek, the name Elijah begins with "Eli.")  It i
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Last Words of Jesus, Part Three

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. John 19:26-27 Today we are looking at the third thing Jesus said while He was on the cross.  This saying is a bit more personal, and we are still able to see what was on Jesus' heart during this time.  On Monday, we saw that Jesus was thinking about forgiveness.  Yesterday, we saw that Jesus was still looking to save all that came to Him.  Today, we see that Jesus still showed love and concern for those He loved. While Jesus was on the cross, He looked down and saw His mother, Mary, watching.  How excruciating this must have been for Mary!  Jesus did not look at her with a blank stare; He did not ignore her, even though He was in agony and pain.  He loved Mary.  He also saw John, arguably Jesus' closest frie
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