Sermons and Biblical Studies

JOHN 19:8–11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.…” (John 19:11). Upon discovering that Jesus claimed to be God incarnate, Pilate became frightened, and it wasn’t because of the threats of a Jewish uprising. We must remember that the Romans were prone to … Continue reading “UNDER GOD’S CONTROL”

JOHN 19:5–7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God” (John 19:7). In a mocking gesture, Pilate presents the now bloodied and beaten Jesus to the crowd. The governor is poking fun at the chief priests and their … Continue reading ““BEHOLD THE MAN!””

JOHN 19:1–4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4). For a third time Pilate declared that he found no fault in Jesus. But what an affront to justice that this governor still … Continue reading “A MAN WITHOUT FAULT”

JOHN 18:39–40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber (John 18:40). We now return to John’s Gospel by picking up our study in chapter 18 and the account of Jesus’ trial. We have already seen how Pilate found no pleasure in handling this case and did … Continue reading “IN THE PLACE OF SINNERS”

1 JOHN 2:24–29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him (1 John 2:29). All we know about the truth concerning God and man leads us to the inescapable conclusion that correct knowledge of God and ourselves reveals the divine design for the eternal kingdom … Continue reading “THE COMMAND OF TRUTH”

PSALM 8 What is man that You are mindful of him? (Ps. 8:4a) Once we understand that God is the source of truth, that He is the standard of truth, that He is, in fact, truth itself, we must ask the question, “I how does that truth relate to me?” To answer this question, we … Continue reading “MAN’S RELATION TO TRUTH”

ROMANS 2 … for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves (Rom. 2:14). God is known. This is true not only for the redeemed man who has the ability to understand and believe the revealed … Continue reading “INNATE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD”

ISAIAH 55:8–9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord (Isa. 55:8). While Christianity cannot be classified as a mystical religion, neither can it be considered rationalistic. From beginning to end, the Bible teaches that man cannot fathom with his own reason the depths of God, especially … Continue reading “REGARDING RATIONALISM”

ROMANS 12:1–2 … be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2). When we examine matters pertaining to epistemological inquiry (how we know what we know), we must avoid two errors. One of those errors is mysticism. It is … Continue reading “MINDFUL OF MYSTICISM”

JOB 21:14–16 Yet they say to God, “Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways” (Job 21:14). Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” is reflective of a deeper philosophical and, in essence, theological question. That question is “How do we know what we know?” Or to put Pilate’s inquiry into another … Continue reading “GOD IS THE STANDARD”