The canon of Scripture refers to the books that are considered authoritative and divinely inspired Scripture in Christianity. Throughout church history, Christians have recognized certain ancient texts as having been inspired by God and therefore belonging in the Bible. The word “canon” comes from a Greek word meaning “rule” or “standard.” The canon of Scripture is the standard collection of books that are divinely inspired and therefore rightfully belong in the Bible. There are a few key things to understand about the canon of Scripture: The canon refers to the entire collection of biblical books that are divinely inspired. It…
Author: Richard Curi
Moralism is the belief that morality, or living a moral life, is the central purpose and focus of Christianity. Moralists emphasize righteous living and adherence to moral rules as the way to please God and earn salvation. They view Christianity primarily as an ethical system for right behavior rather than a faith based on God’s grace. In the Bible, moralism is associated with legalism and works-based righteousness. Moralists tend to focus on outward behavior and rule-keeping rather than inward heart transformation. They reduce the gospel to a message about morality rather than the good news of salvation through Christ’s atoning…
The term Christotokos means “Christ-bearer” and is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes Mary’s role in bearing and giving birth to Jesus, who is fully God and fully man. The term first arose in the 5th century amid debates about Christ’s divinity and humanity. The Council of Ephesus in 431 affirmed that Mary was the Theotokos (God-bearer) against the view that she was merely Christotokos (Christ-bearer). This upheld the doctrine that Jesus is one person with two natures – fully divine and fully human. Calling Mary Christotokos was seen as undermining Christ’s divinity by…
In What Ways Are Believers Partakers of the Divine Nature? The Bible teaches that when someone believes in Jesus Christ, they become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through faith in Christ, believers are regenerated, justified, adopted into God’s family, and begin the process of being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). In these ways, believers become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Let’s explore this incredible biblical truth further. Regeneration When someone repents and believes in Jesus, they experience spiritual rebirth. Though we were once dead in our sins, God makes us alive together with…
Emblematic parallelism is a poetic device frequently found in Hebrew poetry, especially in the Psalms and Prophets. It involves the pairing of concrete images, metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech to express an idea. The key feature of emblematic parallelism is that the parallel lines use emblems – concrete representations or symbols – to convey meaning figuratively. For example, Psalm 18:2 states: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” Here, the emblems of “rock” and “fortress” symbolize God as a source of protection and refuge. The parallelism emphasizes the idea through repetition using different emblems. Some…
Why would the aroma of a sacrifice be important to God? The aroma of a sacrifice was very important in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. When a sacrifice was made to God, the smoke and aroma that came from the burnt offering was said to be pleasing to God. There are several reasons why the aroma of a sacrifice would have significance for God: 1. It showed obedience and devotion to God’s commands. God gave explicit instructions for how sacrifices were to be prepared and offered in the tabernacle/temple. When people carefully followed these regulations, it demonstrated their…
The concept of the “Comforter” originates from the Gospel of John in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks of sending a Comforter after his departure: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18). Here Jesus promises his disciples that although he will leave…
Environmentalism has become an increasingly prominent issue in recent years. As Christians, how should we view concerns about taking care of the environment and being good stewards of the earth’s resources? Here is a 9000 word exploration of what the Bible says about environmental stewardship and a Christian perspective on environmentalism. The Biblical Basis for Caring for Creation The Bible makes it clear that the earth belongs to God, not to us. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). As His creations, we are entrusted by God to…
Losing a loved one is always difficult, but it can be especially painful when that person was not a believer in Christ. As Christians, we find hope in the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus, so it’s natural to grieve deeply when someone we care about did not accept that gift before passing away. Though it may seem hopeless, the Bible does offer comfort and perspective for Christians mourning an unsaved loved one. God is sovereign, merciful, and just, and we can trust Him to judge rightly. He is also powerful enough to bring redemption, even after death.…
Exodus 23:2 states “You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice”. This verse teaches us an important lesson about not blindly following the crowd or majority opinion when it comes to moral issues. Here are some key points we can take away from this verse: 1. Don’t compromise your values or integrity to fit in The verse warns against “falling in” or conforming with “the many” when it comes to doing evil. Peer pressure is a powerful force that can…