Revelation 1 (day 1168) 13 March 2013 1-3: The book of Revelation is enigmatic to say the least. It promises to reveal, but instead seems determined to obscure. It proposes to show “what must soon take place,” but the church still awaits the events described. The opening verses proclaim that God gave Jesus Christ […]
Jude (day 1167) 12 March 2013 1-2: Jude appears to have been a general epistle, sent out as a circulatory letter to a number of congregations rather than to any specific location. He identifies himself as a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, tantalizing but frustrating references to his identity. If he […]
3 John (day 1166) 11 March 2013 1-4: The letter is addressed to an influential member of a congregation, location unknown, whose name is Gaius. This was during the time in the early church when much of the authority was still vested with the original apostles, but was beginning more and more to be […]
2 John (day 1165) 10 March 2013 1-3: There is general consensus among scholars that the author of 1st John also penned 2nd and 3rd John, though there is no widespread agreement as to whom the author might have been (see comments at 1 John 1). In 2 and 3 John he identifies himself […]
1 John 1 (day 1160) 5 March 2013 1-4: Ancient witnesses believed that the gospel of John the three letters of John and the apocalypse of John were all composed by John, son of Zebedee, a disciple of Jesus. While it is impossible to assert the authorship with any certainty there is general agreement […]
2 Peter 1 (day 1157) 2 March 2013 1-2: Simeon is a known alternate form of Simon, but it is doubtful that this letter was written by the apostle Peter or by the same author as 1 Peter if the apostle was not the writer of that letter. The styles are different, and there are […]
1 Peter 1 (day 1152) 25 February 2013 1-2: As with James and Hebrews the authorship of 1 Peter is uncertain. There is little internal evidence to his identity. He identifies himself as an apostle in the first verse, and as an elder in the church and as one who witnessed the crucifixion (5:1). He […]
James 1 (day 1147) 20 February 2013 1: The very first verse of James presents problems for the Biblical scholar. Ancient tradition ascribes the letter (sermon?) to James the brother of Jesus, although there are arguments that “brother” may mean “half brother” or “cousin” or even simply “a member of the church.” Another theory […]
Hebrews 1 (day 1134) 7 February 2013 The letter to the Hebrews does not read like a letter, but more like a sermon. We don’t know who wrote it; Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Priscilla, Apollos all have their fans. We don’t know to whom it was written or from where it was composed. At some […]
Philemon 1 (day 1133) 6 February 2013 1-3: The letter is from Paul and Timothy to Philemon, Apphia and Archippus. Timothy we know. Philemon is only mentioned in this letter, nowhere else; the same with Apphia. Archippus, however, is mentioned elsewhere. In the letter to the Colossians Paul closes with, “Tell Archippus to complete […]