by Paul Apple | Jan 9, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ANTICIPATING FUTURE RESURRECTION FORTIFIES BELIEVERS TO FAITHFULLY ENDURE PERSECUTION EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH INTRODUCTION: John MacArthur: Throughout its history, the seemingly paradoxical truth has been that the more the church has been persecuted, the...
by Paul Apple | Jan 6, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOOD WORKS AND DOCTRINAL DISCERNMENT CANNOT EXCUSE A FAILURE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER INTRODUCTION: Marvin Rosenthal: I believe that the messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev. 2-3) are not descriptions of different periods of church history or...
by Paul Apple | Jan 4, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE VISION OF THE GLORIFIED REIGNING CHRIST AND THE RECORDED INSIGHT INTO END TIME EVENTS FUEL THE PERSEVERANCE OF SUFFERING SAINTS INTRODUCTION: John MacArthur: Having described the circumstances in which he received it, John then related the vision itself....
by Paul Apple | Jan 2, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: YOU CAN COUNT ON THE PROMISE OF CHRIST’S RETURN BECAUSE THE ETERNAL GOD IS THE SELF-EXISTENT, ALL-POWERFUL SOVEREIGN CONTROLLING THE UNIVERSE INTRODUCTION: G. K. Beale: The greetings section is concluded by the Lord’s description of Himself using the first...
by Paul Apple | Dec 31, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE PREEMINENT JESUS CHRIST — WHO LOVES US AND REDEEMED US AND ELEVATED US — IS COMING BACK IN DRAMATIC FASHION TO EXERCISE SOVEREIGN DOMINION INTRODUCTION: Richard Phillips: The book of Revelation, which takes the form of a historical letter,...
by Paul Apple | Dec 30, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE DIVINE UNVEILING OF END TIME EVENTS CALLS US TO READINESS AND PROMISES A BLESSING INTRODUCTION: Buist Fanning: This book is a prophetic revelation from God Almighty through John intended to bless the churches by showing how God’s redemption will be...
by Paul Apple | Sep 26, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOOD COMMUNICATION FOSTERS FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL INTRODUCTION: Benjamin Merkle: This section contains Paul’s concluding remarks to the saints in Ephesus and can be divided into two parts: (1) a commendation of Tychicus and his task (Eph. 6:21–22) and (2)...
by Paul Apple | Sep 26, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE PROTECTION OF THE SAINTS AND THE FORWARD PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL DEPEND ON ALERT INTERCESSORY PRAYER INTRODUCTION: Harold Hoehner: It is important to note the repetition in this verse. Prayer and petition are mentioned four times. This is not tautology...
by Paul Apple | Sep 26, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WALK STRONG – DEFEND AGAINST THE ENEMY WITH THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD INTRODUCTION: Stephen Fowl: As a way of completing his epistle, Paul in this final substantive section shifts from admonitions about walking in a manner worthy of the gospel to a discussion of...
by Paul Apple | Sep 26, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WALKING WISELY INVOLVES FULFILLING YOUR ROLE IN RELATIONSHIPS OF SUBMISSION AND CONSIDERATION INTRODUCTION: Stephen Fowl: It is crucial that readers interpret 5:21 as pointing both backward and forward. It serves to conclude a section that presents some of...
by Paul Apple | Sep 25, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WALK WISELY – IN THE WILL OF THE LORD – UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTRODUCTION: Frank Thielman: The theme of wise conduct within the household binds the entire passage together. In light of the evil times in which believers live, Paul...
by Paul Apple | Sep 25, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: KEEP YOURSELF PURE AS YOU WALK IN THE LIGHT AND EXPOSE DEEDS OF DARKNESS (ESPECIALLY SEXUAL IMPURITY, GREED AND SHAMEFUL SPEECH) INTRODUCTION: Remember the theme of Walk in Love (5:1-2). This leads into the discussion on abstaining from impurity = the...
by Paul Apple | Sep 23, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CHRISTIAN MUST REJECT HARMFUL BEHAVIOR (WHICH DESTROYS COMMUNITY) AND IMITATE THE LOVE OF GOD (WHICH BUILDS COMMUNITY) INTRODUCTION: Harold Hoehner: To review, Paul has exhorted the Ephesians not to walk as the Gentiles do. He described the lifestyle of...
by Paul Apple | Sep 22, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CHRISTIAN WALK MUST BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT — – THAN THE UNSAVED – THAN OUR OLD SELF INTRODUCTION: Andrew Lincoln: In terms of its structure and sequence this pericope has two parts—the exhortation not to live like the Gentiles (vv...
by Paul Apple | Sep 21, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: IN HUMILITY AND LOVE, PROMOTE UNITY IN A CONTEXT OF DIVERSITY WITH THE GOAL OF MATURITY INTRODUCTION: Harold Hoehner: The revelation of the unification of Jewish and Gentile believers positionally as “one new person” (2:15), the body of Christ, and the...
by Paul Apple | Sep 13, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN CONNECT US TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST SO THAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE ALL THAT GOD HAS FOR US INTRODUCTION: Stephen Fowl: Formally, the passage begins with Paul situating himself relative to God (3:14–15). Paul then makes a series of...
by Paul Apple | Sep 12, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GRANTING THE GENTILES EQUAL ACCESS AND PRIVILEGES IN THE BODY OF CHRIST MANIFESTS THE MANIFOLD WISDOM AND ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD INTRODUCTION: Andrew Lincoln: 3:1–13 is formally a digression on Paul’s apostolic ministry to the Gentiles and on the mystery...
by Paul Apple | Sep 11, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GENTILES ARE NOW UNITED WITH JEWS IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD ON THE BASIS OF THE RECONCILING WORK OF CHRIST INTRODUCTION: Frank Thielman: The focus of 2:11–22 is the social alienation between Israel and the Gentiles and Christ’s role in solving this problem...
by Paul Apple | Sep 9, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S POWER HAS CHANGED OUR OLD POSITION (DEATH) TO OUR NEW POSITION (LIFE); GOD’S POWER HAS CHANGED OUR OLD PRACTICE (SIN) TO OUR NEW PRACTICE (HOLINESS: GOOD WORKS) INTRODUCTION: Stephen Fowl: These verses focus on how Christ’s superiority over...
by Paul Apple | Sep 9, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE LIVING AND REIGNING CHRIST RULES OVER ALL AS HEAD OF HIS CHURCH INTRODUCTION: We have been praying along with Paul that the Holy Spirit would give us spiritual insight in the full knowledge of God so that we would especially know His tremendous power...
