My Bible School

The Cost of Discipleship

TylersFulcher — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:52:53 +0000

A Summary of The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Written by Tyler S. Fulcher

Category: Theology

Bold = Summary Finished

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Introduction

Chapter 1: Costly Grace

Chapter 2: The Call to Discipleship

Chapter 3: Single-Minded Obedience

Chapter 4: Discipleship and the Cross

Chapter 5: Discipleship and the Individual

Chapter 6: The Beatitudes

Chapter 7: The Visible Community

Chapter 8: The Righteousness of Christ

Chapter 9: The Brother

Chapter 10: Woman

Chapter 11: Truthfulness

Chapter 12: Revenge

Chapter 13: The Enemy-the “Extraordinary”

Chapter 14: The Hidden Righteousness

Chapter 15: The Hiddenness of Prayer

Chapter 16: The Hiddenness of the Devout Life

Chapter 17: The Simplicity of the Carefree Life

Chapter 18: The Disciple and Unbelievers

Chapter 19: The Great Divide

Chapter 20: The Conclusion

Chapter 21: The Harvest

Chapter 22: The Apostles

Chapter 23: The Work

Chapter 24: The Suffering of the Messengers

Chapter 25: The Decision

Chapter 26: The Fruit

Chapter 27: Preliminary Questions

Chapter 28: Baptism

Chapter 29: The Body of Christ

Chapter 30: The Visible Community

Chapter 31: The Saints

Chapter 32: The Image of Christ

Introduction

Bonhoeffer begins The Cost of Discipleship with the following words:

“Revival of Church life always brings in its train a richer understanding of the Scriptures. Behind all the slogans and catchwords of the ecclesiastical controversy, necessary though they are, there arises a more determined quest for him who is the sole object of it all, for Jesus Christ himself” (p. 35).

Following these opening words, Bonhoeffer contends that pastors add unnecessary burdens to following Christ by focusing on man-made teachings that are limited in scope and irrelevant to the challenges facing those seeking Christ. The danger, in Bonhoeffer’s opinion, is that “our preaching contain(s) too much of our own opinions and convictions, and too little of Jesus Christ” (p. 36).

For Bonhoeffer, the commands of the Church can “bring new tyranny and oppression” if they insist on adherence to a certain set of beliefs and actions to gain access to Christ (p. 37). Instead, Bonhoeffer contends that the only burden necessary to follow Christ is Christ’s “yoke” which is said to be easy and light (Matt 11:28).

How should the pastor call people to discipleship? Bonhoeffer contends that we must learn to imitate Christ’s love and mercy as displayed on the cross. Even while being ridiculed, Jesus extended love and mercy. His love and mercy were not merely for the disciples. It was also for his executioners and the murderers who were crucified beside him.

Bonhoeffer describes the challenge of the cross with these words: “In the modern world, it seems so difficult to walk with absolute certainty in the narrow way of ecclesiastical decision and yet remain in the broad open spaces of the universal love of Christ, of the patience, mercy and ‘philanthropy’ of God (Titus 3.4) for the weak and the ungodly” (38).

Costly Grace

The opening chapter of The Cost of Discipleship may contain some of Bonhoeffer’s most famous teachings. In it, he explains the dangers of “cheap grace” and exhorts believers to embrace “costly grace.” He argues that Christians may correctly articulate the concept of grace while simultaneously divorcing it from discipleship and perverting the doctrine to the harm of believers trying to follow Christ. Bonhoeffer begins by defining “cheap” and “costly” grace. Next, he offers a history of grace from biblical times to his contemporaries.

According to Bonhoeffer, “cheap grace” is that which is divorced from Christian discipleship. With cheap grace, “the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin” (43). This sort of grace allows the world to continue as it is. No one needs to heed the call to follow Christ because grace covers the sin regardless. Bonhoeffer rightly recoils at this notion of grace.

By contrast, costly grace is that which calls the sinner to repent and follow Christ. It demands total surrender to the Creator–the one who died to offer that grace. As Bonhoeffer writes, “Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light'” (45).

Bonhoeffer saw Peter’s interaction with Jesus as the paradigm by which all Christians are called to live. Following Jesus is costly. As Bonhoeffer notes, Jesus twice called Peter to follow him: once at the beginning of their relationship and a second time at the end. Between these two occasions of Jesus’s calling, Peter declared Jesus to be the Christ. At every step, Jesus’s calling proved costly to Peter. First, Peter had to abandon everything he owned to follow Christ. Second, he had to risk looking foolish by declaring Jesus to be the Messiah. Third, he had to submit to a future that included martyrdom. Peter embraced the grace of God even as he repeatedly failed Him. Along the way, Peter experienced God’s grace.

After establishing Peter’s life as the prime illustration of costly grace, Bonhoeffer recounts the Church’s historical relationship with grace in three stages: Monasticism, the Reformation, and the Church of Bonhoeffer’s day.

After several centuries, Christianity became the dominant religion of the world. What appears on the surface to be a positive development is proved, in Bonhoeffer’s estimation, to be a net negative. Christianity became secularized and people became Christian in name and not deed. Not all succumbed to this secularization process, however. Some chose to pursue costly grace by abandoning everything to follow him. Those who chose this path were called monks and they often lived in monasteries. According to Bonhoeffer, “Monasticism became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity and the cheapening of grace.”

Bonhoeffer contends, however, that monasticism did not so much preserve costly grace as became a tool used by the Church to divide believers into two groups: those who could be expected to follow Christ’s commands and those who could not. He writes, “By thus limiting the application of the commandments of Jesus to a restricted group of specialists, the Church evolved the fatal conception of the double standard–a maximum and a minimum standard of Christian obedience” (47).

In Martin Luther, Bonhoeffer saw the providence of God. Luther was uniquely positioned to shake the Church and awaken it from its slumber under the influence of cheap grace. As a monk, Luther knew well what it meant to abandon all to follow Christ. He knew costly grace. He knew that he was hopelessly lost in sin, but he also discovered God’s grace met him in his sin.

In the monastery, Luther became convinced that “the following of Christ is not the achievement of merit of a select few, but the divine command to all Christians without distinction” (47). Thus, when Luther left the monastery he rejected the idea of a maximum and minimum version of Christian obedience. No, for Luther, the call to follow Christ was a call every believer must obey and they must do so in every area of life.

According to Bonhoeffer, Luther’s message was quickly distorted even though it was correctly articulated. Those who followed in Luther’s footsteps could correctly describe justification by faith and not by works, but they mistakenly divorced the doctrine from discipleship. They forgot that “when he spoke of grace, Luther always implied as a corollary that it cost him his own life, the life which was now for the first time subjected to the absolute obedience of Christ” (49). The divorce of grace and discipleship led to the cheapening of grace. Bonhoeffer writes, “The justification of the sinner in the world degenerated into the justification of sin and the world” (50).

Bonhoeffer argued that the Church of his day had continued in the same error that has plagued most of Christian history. They presupposed God’s grace meant that one did not have to try to follow Christ’s commands. Since God’s grace covers sin, sin is no problem. For Bonhoeffer, this way of thinking leads to the Church’s degradation and the harm of those who may try to follow Christ. He writes, “The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works” (55). The effect of cheap grace is a Church indistinguishable from the world and a Christian indistinguishable from every non-Christian.

What lies at the core of the battle between cheap and costly grace? Why do so many people want God’s grace without the call to obedience?

Bonhoeffer explains it by way of illustration.

He points to a famous Faust quote: “I now see that we can nothing know.”

Faust spent his life pursuing knowledge before he arrived at this conclusion. Others presuppose this conclusion and thus never pursue knowledge in the first place. According to Bonhoeffer, the difference between Faust and the others is critical and is best understood as an equation.

Faust:

Pursuit of knowledge + Life of learning = We can know nothing

Others:

We can know nothing = No pursuit of knowledge

If one begins with the revelation, one does not understand its meaning. A person who has not tried to learn anything cannot appreciate the complexity of life.

In the same way, Bonhoeffer argues that how one sets up the “equation of grace” matters deeply.

Costly Grace

Desire to obey Christ’s commands + Life of failure = Costly grace

Cheap grace

Cheap grace = No attempt to follow Christ

If one puts grace first, she never attempts to follow Christ. Consequently, she never discovers the depths of Christ’s grace to her.

On the contrary, the person who tries to follow Christ discovers throughout his life that he is woefully sinful. That person still receives the grace of Christ. In the process, he finds the depths of God’s grace to him. It costs him his whole life, but he explores the depths of God’s love.

For Bonhoeffer, the choice is clear. We must choose costly grace because that is the only grace offered by Christ.

Chapter Two: The Call to Discipleship

In Chapter Two of The Cost of Dscipleship, Bonhoeffer insists that there is no path to discipleship or to faith, by which he means that one cannot incrementally progress toward faith. Instead, there is only immediate, spontaneous obedience to Jesus’s call. He illustrates the symbiotic relationship between faith and obedience with five different passages of Scripture. He also offers practical advice for pastors dealing with their congregants.

Bonhoeffer begins with Jesus’s call of Matthew recorded in Mark 2:14. For Bonhoeffer, Mark did not discuss Matthew’s inner thought process because that misses the point. Jesus’s call to Matthew required immediate and complete obedience. Matthew offered that obedience and thus provde to be Jesus’s disciple.

After discussing Matthew’s calling, Bonhoeffer turns his attention to Luke 9:57-62 where the three would-be disciples illustrate the problem with any response to Jesus other than obedience. The first person tries to volunteers to follow Jesus without being called. Since he does not understand what is required of him, the first person fails in his attempt. The second person uses obedience to the law (i.e., about the dead) as an excuse to keep from following Jesus. The third person offers to follow Jesus if Jesus will oblige his one condition: to say goodbye to his friends. Bonhoeffer argues, “Discipleship can tolerate no conditions which might come between Jesus and our obedience” (61).

Next, Bonhoeffer considers Peter’s obedience when walking on the water. Peter’s obedience is singularly focused. He desires to follow Jesus, but as Bonhoeffer notes, Peter knows he cannot follow Jesus without being called and without Jesus’s strength. So, Peter asks Jesus to call him out on the water. Thus, when Peter steps onto the water this is simultaneously an act of God’s grace in Peter’s life and an act of obedience from Peter’s perspective. The result is faith.

Fourth, Bonhoeffer examines the rich young man’s encounter with Jesus. The rich young man sought out Jesus’s help with an intriguing moral case. What must someone who obeys the law do to inherit eternal life. Bonhoeffer argues that Jesus ignores the man’s supposed moral conundrum. Instead, he simply calls the man to follow him. What is the first step? Sell all of his possessions. By selling his possessions, the man would demonstrate his belief and thereby become a disciple.

Whereas the rich young ruler asked Jesus a genuine question, the lawyer in Luke 10:25-29 asks Jesus who his neighbor is in an effort to tempt Jesus. Bonhoeffer notes that Jesus treats this man differently. Jesus does not extend an offer for the lawyer to follow him. Instead, he sends him back to the commandments.

Bonhoeffer sees a pattern in these five passages. Faith in Jesus demands obedience. This observation often faces an objection, however.

If faith demands obedience, does that mean that faith is based on works (i.e., obedience)?

Bonhoeffer insists there is no contradiction. He suggests that faith precedes obedience logically but not chronologically, writing:

“If, however, we make a chronological distinction between faith and obedience, and make obedience subsequent to faith, we are divorcing the one from the other–and then we get the practical question, when must obedience begin? Obedience remains separated from faith. From the point of view of justification it is necessary thus to separate them, but we must never lose sight of their essential unity. For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience” (64).

What is the practical implication of Bonhoeffer’s teaching in this chapter?

Since faith and obedience are inseparable, if you are struggling with your faith, Bonhoeffer argues that you are disobeying Christ in some area of your life.

He imagines a scenario in which a person approaches their pastor because they are struggling to believe God. Bonhoeffer warns that pastors too often extend cheap grace in moments like this.

It’s important to note Bonhoeffer’s religious tradition here. He is Lutheran and has a strong view of predestination. In his construction of the scenario, the pastor shares his doctirnal position simply suggests the person’s inability to believe God must be due to the fact that God, in His sovereignty, has not predestined the man for salvation (69).

Bonhoeffer is convinced this approach is wrongheaded. Instead, he insists that we hold together faith/belief and obedience. Only those who believe in Christ obey Christ. Simultaneously, only those who obey Christ believe in Christ. Consequently, when we struggle to believe in Christ we must be encouraged to begin with obedience.

Chapter Three: Single-Minded Obedience

Bonhoeffer returns to the examples Matthew, Peter, and the rich young man provided. He notes that Jesus demanded immediate obedience to his literal commands in every situation. Matthew must leave his life as a tax collector. Peter must risk his life and step out of the boat. The rich young man must sell his possessions and trust God for his provision.

In each situation, those called to follow Jesus faced obstacles that could have prevented them from obeying Christ. Bonhoeffer argues that we face the same obstacles today. He writes, “The forces which tried to interpose themselves between the word of Jesus and the response of obedience were as formidable then as they are today. Reason and conscience, responsibility and piety all stood in the way, and even the law and ‘scriptural authority’ itself were obstacles which pretended to defend them from going to the extremes of antinomianism and ‘enthusiasms.'” (79)

The main topic Bonhoeffer tackles in “Single-Minded Obedience” is how we should obey Christ’s commands. His prime example is drawn from the story of the rich young man. Bonhoeffer notes that we often approach this passage as if it were symbolic: as if Jesus’s command was only about attachment to possessions.

Bonhoeffer refers to this tendency as a paradox. Christ desires to rid the young man of his attachments. While it is theoretically possible that the young man could have done this without actually selling his possessions, Jesus recognized that it was impossible in practice. Therefore, Jesus literally commanded the man to sell all he owned.

Bonhoeffer warns that we may use the knowledge of Jesus’s true intention to disobey his command. Bonhoeffer writes, “We must therefore maintain that the paradoxical interpretation of the commandments of Jesus always includes the literal interpretation, for the very reason that our aim is not to set up a law, but to proclaim Christ” (84).

Chapter Four: Discipleship and the Cross

In Chapter Four, Bonhoeffer reflects on Mark 8:31-38.

After Jesus predicts his suffering and rejection, Peter confronts Jesus. We do not know what Peter said, but Jesus did not like it. Jesus called Peter Satan.

Next, Jesus gathers the disciples around him and utters these famous words:

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” (Mark 8:34b-36; NRSV)

Just as Jesus endured suffering and rejection, so too must his followers.

How do we encounter suffering and rejection?

By taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Bonhoeffer encourages us to reframe how we think of the cross. The cross is not an ordinary difficulty we face in life. It is the God’s design. He writes, “The cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise godfearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ” (89).

Bonhoeffer identifies two types of suffering in the Christian life:

First, we are called to “abandon the attachments of this world” (89). We cannot serve two masters, as Jesus said. Therefore, we must commit our lives solely to the Lord.

Second, we bear the sins of our fellow human. Though we cannot atone for anyone’s sin, we help bear their burden by offering our forgiveness to them.

Before he concludes his teaching on suffering and rejection, Bonhoeffer raises a paradoxical truth: “Suffering means being cut off from God. Therefore those who live in communion with him cannot really suffer” (92).

This paradox is the ultimate reframing of suffering. Rather than enduring hardship with misery, Christians rejoice in their suffering because it draws us closer to Christ.

Bonhoeffer writes, “To go one’s way under the sign of the cross is not misery and desperation, but peace and refreshment for the soul, it is the highest joy” (93).

Chapter Five: Discipleship and the Individual

In Chapter Five, Bonhoeffer reflects on Christ’s call to individuals. He argues that the call of discipleship inevitably confronts each of us individually. We are called to leave everything behind and submit to Christ.

Far from being a legalistic demand on a person’s life, Bonhoeffer argues that the call of Christ turns out to be the only way to discover true life.

What is the nature of the separation from the world around us?

Total.

This call for separation sounds harsh, but Bonhoeffer argues it means only recognizing reality for what it is.

If the whole created order is held together in Christ, than Christ is the Mediator between all things. We cannot relate to anyone or anything except through him, even if we do not acknowledge or accept such reality.

Bonhoeffer argues, however, that we should not see this calling as a mere ideal to which we aspire. Instead, we must recognize the Christ’s call as an accomplished fact in our lives. We must submit.

We cannot actually relate to anyone around us if we do not go through Christ. Therefore, Christ calls us to break away from everyone and everything that surrounds us.

Sometimes the breach will be public and visible, and other times it will be private.

Bonhoeffer points to the life of Abraham for an example of both.

Abraham had to make a visible separation from his family and country when God called him (Gen 12). Yet, only Abraham heard God’s instructions to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham’s immediate and complete obedience to both commands demonstrated his acknowledgement of Christ’s mediation.

The result?

God rewarded Abraham. Abraham returned from the mountain with Isaac intact. Bonhoeffer writes,

“Abraham had left all and followed Christ, and as he follows him he is allowed to go back and live in the world as he had done before. Outwardly the picture is unchanged, but the old is passed away, and behold all things are new. Everything has had to pass through Christ” (99)

What will be the nature of the separation God requires of us? Bonhoeffer suggests that it may be either public or private—only Christ knows. Regardless, we must respond with obedience.

What will be the result?

Bonhoeffer argues that our obedient answer to Christ’s call will lead to reward. We will be empowered to relate with the world and those around us as God intended: through Christ.

He concludes with an example from Mark 10:28-32. The disciples are promised that if they make the breach (i.e., leave their families), they will receive back one hundred-fold. Bonhoeffer argues this repayment comes in the form of the Church. Fellowship with those who have picked up their cross and followed Christ turns out to be the only true relationship one can have with another.

So, when we hear the call of Christ to acknowledge that he stands between all created things, we must embrace that call. We must acknowledge the centrality of Christ in all things. This acknowledgement empowers us to engage with reality as God created it.

As Bonhoeffer writes, “He (Christ) divides, but he also unites. Thus although the direct way to our neighbour is barred, we now find the new and only real way to him—the way which passes through the mediator.” (100)

Chapter Six: The Beatitudes

In Chapter Six, Bonhoeffer turns his attention to the Sermon on the Mount. He begins with the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12). In Bonhoeffer’s estimation, the Beatitudes distinguish the disciple from people who have yet to heed Christ’s call of discipleship.

He invites you to imagine the mountain side filled with the crowds listening to Jesus’s teaching and the disciples. In nearly every respect, the people and the disciples are the same. They are all Jews, they live in the region, and they are hearing Jesus teach. The difference, however, is stark. The disciples have heard Christ’s call and responded with immediate, single-minded obedience. Bonhoeffer writes, “Until quite recently these men had been completely identified with the multitude, they were just like the rest.” (106)

While the distinction between the people and the disciples is stark, Bonhoeffer argues that Jesus intends for the two groups to remain intertwined: “Disciples and people, they belong together. The disciples will bee his messengers and here and there they will find men to hear and believe their message” (106).

Yet, the Beatitudes are not easy to bear. They cost the disciples everything.

Following Jesus results in rejection.

Following Jesus results in blessing.

For Bonhoeffer, the rejection and the blessing are two sides of the same coin.

To be Christ’s disciple is to be poor in spirit. When we follow Christ we renounce every right in our lives. We have only what Christ gives, which turns out to be more than we could ever need.

This poverty contrasts with the rich and powerful who currently run the world. The rich and powerful seem to have inherited the world, but Christ declares the opposite to be true. They inherit nothing but their own punishment. The poor in spirit who follow Christ, inherit God’s kingdom.

Chapter Seven: The Visible Community

In Chapter Seven, Bonhoeffer reflects on Matthew 5:13-16. He begins by considering Jesus’s salt metaphor. As is well known, salt was a critical ingredient in the ancient world and still is today. Salt is a natural preservative. Therefore, Bonhoeffer argues that the world is preserved by the disciples: “The disciples…are the highest good, the supreme value which the earth possesses, for without them it cannot live” (115).

By comissioning the disciples to be salt for the earth, Bonhoeffer argues that Jesus ensures his disciples will not be preoccuppied with heaven to the exclusion of earth. Thus, the true disciple is deeply interested in the preservation of those around themselves.

Bonhoeffer notes a negative implication of the salt metaphor. Of all things, only salt can become hopelessly useless. Everything else can be preserved by salt. However, if salt loses its saltiness, it can never regain it. Bonhoeffer writes, “That is the judgment which always hangs over the disciple community, whose mission is to save the world, but which, if it ceases to live up to that mission, is itself irretrievably lost” (117).

In the second half of this chapter, Bonhoeffer expounds on Jesus’s light metaphor. He notes that Jesus does not say the disciples have the light or will become light. No, Jesus says they are the light. Bonhoeffer writes, “The light is not an instrument which has been put into their hands, such as their preaching. It is the disciples themselves” (117).

If being a disciple means being a light for Christ, then the Christian church must not seek to hide tha light from the world. Bonhoeffer argues any attempt to hide the light of Christ only reveals that that person is not a disciple.

How does the light shine?

Bonhoeffer notes that it shines through the disciples’ good works, which he argues refer to poverty, meekness, persecution, and rejection. He contends that good works cannot refer to moral virtue because that would lead to praise for the disciple. Instead, good works must refer to any act associated with bearing the cross of Christ. He concludes, “It is by seeing the cross and the community beneath it that men come to believe in God” (119).

Chapter Eight: The Righteousness of Christ

In Chapter Eight, Bonhoeffer expounds upon Matthew 5:17-20. Jesus famously claims that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He also adds to this statement the claim that the disciples’ righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees.

Bonhoeffer acknowledges that it would have made sense for the disciples to mistakenly think Jesus was abolishing the law. Jesus made claims directly on their lives that seemed to stand distinct from the law. Jesus insisted they were powerful and possessed divine grace.

Yet, Jesus tells them that they must obey the law. As Bonhoeffer notes, this is the key. We cannot have Christ without the law. He writes, “It is, however, Jesus himself who points to the law those to whom he has granted his whole promise and his whole fellowship. Because it is their Lord who does this, they are bound to acknowledge the law” (121).

Jesus does not, however, only command them to obey the law. He insists that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees.

How?

Through communion with Christ.

The key to better righteousness is to have Christ’s righteousness.

This claim is the crux of the matter for Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer argues that the Jews and disciples were prone to make opposite mistakes that produced the same outcome.

He suggests that the Jews conflated God and the law. Thus, when God in Christ claimed to fulfill the law, they could not accept it. They prioritized obedience to the law over relationship with the Law-giver.

Bonhoeffer warns that Jesus disciples, including us, are prone to the opposite but equally devastating mistake. We are prone to divorce God from his law. We think the law has no claim on us because we have communion with Christ. Yet, Christ directs us to keep the law. Therefore, we cannot have Christ without the law.

If we will embrace Christ and his command concerning the law, our righteousness will exceed that of the scribes and pharisees because it Christ who stands between us and the law.

Christ is the only one who obeyed the law perfectly. When we are in communion with him, we partake in his life and his righteousness. Though we imperfectly keep the law, we are found to have better righteousness because we are in Christ. As Bonhoeffer writes, “The righteousness it (the law) demands is already there, the righteousness of Jesus which submits to the cross because that is what the law demands.” (125).

Chapter Nine: The Brother

In Chapter Nine, Bonhoeffer reflects on Matthew 5:21-26. He makes two points.

First, Jesus assumes the role of law-giver. By assuming this role, Jesus can both perfectly uphold the law and turn the law on its head. Thus, if we wish to uphold the law, we must recognize Christ’s authority. Bonhoeffer writes, “Only those who apprehend the law as the word of Christ are in a position to fulfil (sic) it” (127).

Bonhoeffer spends significantly more time on his second point, though it presupposes the first.

Why must we love our “brother”?

We must love our brother because Christ commands it. Furthermore, we relinquish any right to determine who is our neighbor when we submit to Christ. He, and he alone, decides who is and who is not our neighbor.

Love of brother is coupled with the prohibition of killing because every one of God’s creation is given the right of life. This right to life also explains why Jesus prohibits his followers from hating someone. Bonhoeffer contends that hating someone is always an attack on that person’s very being.

We must love our brother because hatred creates a barrier between us, our fellow human, and God.

Why does hatred of someone else create a barrier between us and God?

Bonhoeffer argues the Incarnation of Christ provides the answer.

He writes, “The Father would not be separated from his Son, or will he now turn his face from those whose likeness the Son took upon him, and for whose sake he bore the shame” (129).

The post The Cost of Discipleship first appeared on My Bible School.

Acts 29 and Your Church

TylersFulcher — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 19:09:22 +0000

Introduction to Church History

Lesson 1

Tyler S. Fulcher

What is your impression of Christianity?

You could answer this question a million different ways.

Depending on your background, you might offer a positive, negative, or neutral assessment of Christianity.

One thing is for sure.

You would have to admit that Christianity has played a major role in the development of the modern world.

This blog is the first in a series of posts designed to introduce you to Christian history. If you’re interested, these two books are my primary conversation partners.

Mullin, R. B. (2014). A Short World History of Christianity (Revised edition.). Westminster John Knox Press.
González, Justo L. (2010). The Story of Christianity Vols. I-II (Revised Edition). HarperOne.
Weaver, C. D., & Roldán-Figueroa, R. (Eds.). (2024). Exploring Christian Heritage : A Reader in History and Theology (Third edition.). Baylor University Press.

***These are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase a copy through these links, you’ll be supporting my work here.

Objectives of these Posts

1) To introduce and make sense of 2,000 years of Christian history

This is a tall task, but it is worthwhile. Most Christians are completely unaware of their heritage. They do not appreciate how their beliefs and practices fit within and are influenced by two thousand years of history.

Each subject, I discuss in these articles are worth substantially more time than I can devote to them. When appropriate, I will point you to additional resources if you wish to dive deeper into the topic.

Even so, gaining a 30,000 foot view of Christian history will help you immensely as you grow in your faith.

2) To highlight the great diversity of thought and cultures in Christianity

If you listen to mainstream American critiques of Christianity, you may think it is primarily a white, evangelical religion.

This caricature is a misnomer. American evangelicalism may play an outsized role in the United States, but it is extremely reductionistic to assume this represents the whole of Christianity today or throughout history.

In these articles, I intend to highlight the influence and importance of Christians from all over the world.

3) To highlight the role of non-Western men and women

Closely related to the previous objective, I intend to highlight the significance of non-Western men and women in the history of Christianity.

As we will see, Christianity’s growth in Europe and North America has played a significant role in Christian history for centuries. One unfortunate result is that many critics of Christianity argue it is just a white man’s religion.

Again, this critique is misinformed. The early centuries of Christianity were not dominated by Europeans. Additionally, there has always been vibrant expressions of Christianity that were neither European or white.

To be clear, this objective is not meant to minimize the significance of European figures in Christian history. Their stories will be included throughout these articles.

I am instead seeking to correct an imbalance in the way most people percieve Christianity.

4) To examine Christian beliefs, practices, and politics

Finally, I will examine Christian teachings from both within and without.

How did Christian beliefs and practices develop? Why did they develop in such ways?

These are questions I will explore as I discuss important figures and events in Christian history.

At the same time, how did Christianity interact with the world around it? How did it position itself within the surrounding political structures of the world?

Acts 29, 30, 31…

Have you ever paused to consider how the book of Acts ends?

30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Acts 28:30-31 NRSV)

What do you notice about these verses?

The story has no ending.

It’s a curious way to end the story. Luke apparently had at least two years of information he could have included, but he chose not to do that.

Many people have suggested Luke intentionally left the ending of the story open. After all, how can one conclude the story of the Church. It is always developing and expanding.

In that way, some people describe Christian history as the continuation of the story not concluded in Acts 28.

You could describe Christian history as Acts 29, 30, 31, and etc.

As we learn about these other chapters in Christian history, we will learn about many wonderful people and events. Unfortunately, we will also encounter discomforting stories of people who did horrendous things in the name of Christ and his Church.

It is important to acknowledge from the beginning: Church history is not the story of SAINTS only. It always includes SINNERS too.

This dichotomy between saint and sinner should not be surprising. We see both in the New Testament.

Peter and Paul fought in Galatia.

Paul strongly opposed “Christians” who were leading others astray.

As G.K. Chesterton wrote,

“When the world goes wrong, it proves rather that the Church is right. The Church is justified, not because her children do not sin, but because they do.” (The Everlasting Man).

If our era of Church history constitutes another chapter in the unfinished Book of Acts, we must embrace the whole story. We must examine the parts we find inspiring and those we find disturbing because they have shaped the Christianity we know today. They hold valuable lessons we must learn if we are to emulate the good and avoid the bad.

Reflection

Take some time to answer these questions:

What do you know about Christian history?
Describe or list the major events and figures you are familiar with from the whole of Christian history.

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1 Kings 17 Commentary

TylersFulcher — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:36:01 +0000

1 Kings 17 | Notes

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1 Kings 17:1

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃

My Translation: Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead said to Ahab, “As the LORD lives, the God of Israel, whom I stand before: There will be neither dew nor rain these years except by the word of my mouth.”

Technical Notes:

Elijah‘s name (אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ) means “my god is Yahweh.” His name fits the context well. Elijah repeatedly opposes Ahab and Jezebel because of their incorporation of Baal worship in Israelite religious practices. Thus, Elijah’s name makes a theological claim over and against the ruling class of the northern kingdom during his ministry (Walsh 1992, 463).

Most modern translations refer to Elijah as the “Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead” (ESV, NIV, etc.). Other translations describe him as the “Tishbite from the settlers of Gilead” (NASB, NCV, etc.) There are several issues at play here. Many modern translations render מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ as “from Tishbe of Gilead. In this reading the min preposition indicates Elijah’s place of origin. Consequently, תֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ is understood as a construct chain referring to a specific town in Gilead. According to Tobit 1:2 there is a Thesbe in Galilee. However, there is no record of a Tishbe in Gilead. Scholars have suggested alternative solutions. If מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י is revocalized to min-tōšĕbê, the phrase would be understood differently. The min preposition would identify Elijah as one settler among the settlers of Gilead. The reality is that, short of finding a place called Tishbe in Gilead, the question about this phrase cannot be answered. Only the association between Elijah and Gilead is certain.

As the LORD lives (חַי־יְהוָ֞ה) is an oath statement (cf., 1 Kgs 1:29; 2:24; 18:10; 18:15; etc.). In this context, the oath is a direct challenge to Baal.

The word pair טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר are translated as dew or rain. Together they function as a merism, which is a way of referring to something by its polar extremes (Longma 2008, 465).

Comments:

Verse 1 sets the stage for all the events that will transpire over the next few chapters. It establishes the central conflict between the human characters and the deities they represent.

On the one hand, we meet Elijah. Previously unknown, he appears on the scene and immediately has access to the king. The author tells us almost nothing about the man.

He is a Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead. Even this information, however, gives us little to go on. Archaeologists have never firmly identified a place called Tishbe in Gilead. They may never find one because the words may define Elijah more generally. He may be a “settler among the settlers of Gilead.”

We also are not told anything about Elijah’s profession. As his story unfolds, we will learn that he is a prophet, but the author leaves Elijah’s vocation formally unkown at the beginning.

What we do know about Elijah, however, is critical. His name means “my god is Yahweh,” and that is a theological challenge to Ahab.

The other character present in v. 1 is Ahab, the king of Israel. In 1 Kgs 16, the reader learns that Ahab is the most wicked king in Israelite history (cf., 1 Kgs 16:30; “Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him” [NRSV]).

What made Ahab so wicked? Well, he caused Israel to sin against Yahweh just like Jeroboam (cf., 1 Kgs 12-14) and he introduced Baal worship to Israel after his marriage to the Sidonian princess Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:31-33).

Elijah confronts Ahab with a curse. He declares that the land will have no rain or dew unless Elijah gives the say so.

Elijah chooses this curse for a specific reason. Baal, a Canaanite deity incorporated to Israelite worship by Ahab and Jezebel, was known as a fertility god. Baal was responsible for ensuring the land had sufficient water to grow crops every year.

The inhabitants of Canaan beliefs about Baal corresponded to the agricultural cycle. Baal died every year and was revived in the spring bringing rains that enabled the land to produce food. Whenever the rain ceased, the people assumed that Baal had died and would raise again soon.

Elijah’s declaration confronts this worldview. Elijah argues that Yahweh lives and He is the one who controls the waters. As Iain Provan wrties, “It is the Lord, and not Baal, who brings fertility; it is the Lord’s presence in judgment that leads to infertility, rather than his absence in death.” (Provan 2012, 132).

1 Kings 17:2

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר׃

My Translation: And the word of Yahweh came to him,

Technical Notes:

There is nothing unique about this phrase (the word of Yahweh to him) in the Hebrew. It is the standard way of stating that Yahweh spoke to someone.
The narrator does not explicitly identify Elijah as a prophet. However, by introducing Yahweh’s speech to Elijah in this stereotypical fashion, he implicitly identifies Elijah as Yahweh’s messenger/prophet.

The final word of 1 Kgs 17:2 is a Qal infinitive construct.
The word is often left untranslated in English and is reflected instead in the use of quotation marks.

Comments:

The narrative sequence resumes with the reappearance of a Qal wayyiqtol third masculine singular verb (וַיְהִ֥י).

Hebrew narrative, like 1 Kgs 17, has a certain rythm to it. When the narrative is moving along, you get a series of these wayyiqtols to begin sentences. (If you read a word-for-word translation, you know you are reading wayyiqtols when the narrative keeps using the word “and” to connect sentences.)

When the author wants to provide you with extra information, he interrupts that sequence. Once he has finished, he will resume the narrative by returning to a sentence beginning with a wayyiqtol.

It is a helpful way for Hebrew readers to know when the author is talking about the main events in the story and when he is providing background information.

Much of 1 Kgs 17:1 was background information. By returning to the sequence in v. 2, the author is signalling that he is entering into a new section of the story.

1 Kings 17:3

לֵ֣ךְ מִזֶּ֔ה וּפָנִ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ קֵ֑דְמָה וְנִסְתַּרְתָּ֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

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1 Kings 17:4

וְהָיָ֖ה מֵהַנַּ֣חַלתִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְאֶת־הָעֹרְבִ֣ים צִוִּ֔יתִי לְכַלְכֶּלְךָ֖ שָֽׁם׃

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1 Kings 17:5

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֑הוַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

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1 Kings 17:6

וְהָעֹרְבִ֗ים מְבִיאִ֨ים ל֜וֹלֶ֤חֶם וּבָשָׂר֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וְלֶ֥חֶם וּבָשָׂ֖ר בָּעָ֑רֶב וּמִן־הַנַּ֖חַל יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

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1 Kings 17:7

וַיְהִ֛י מִקֵּ֥ץיָמִ֖ים וַיִּיבַ֣שׁ הַנָּ֑חַל כִּ֛י לֹֽא־הָיָ֥ה גֶ֖שֶׁם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

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1 Kings 17:8

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יולֵאמֹֽר׃

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Bibliography

The Hebrew text comes from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which presents the text of the Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic text).
Gesenius, Friedrich Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, Edited by E. Kautzsch and Sir Arthur Ernest Cowley, 2nd English Edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910.
Hollaway, J.E. “What is a Merism?” www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-a-merism.
Wray Beal, Lissa M. 1 & 2 Kings. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
Leithart, Peter J. 1 & 2 Kings. Grand Rapids, Mich: Brazos Press, 2006.
(T. Longman III, “Merism,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings, ed. Peter Enns (Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: IVP Academic; Inter-Varsity Press, 2008), 465)
Provan, Iain W. 1 & 2 Kings. Edited by W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
Walsh, Jerome T. “Elijah (Person),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

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The post 1 Kings 17 Commentary first appeared on My Bible School.

Who was King Zedekiah?

TylersFulcher — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 14:59:19 +0000

Who was King Zedekiah?

An Introduction to the Last King to Rule Over Judah

Tyler S. Fulcher

The end of 2 Kings reads like a rapid-fire tragedy.

The downfall of the Kingdom of Judah is cataclysmic. Although the events take years to develop. the narrator collapses time as he rushes the reader through the destruction of Jerusalem.

Zedekiah’s Rise to Power

During the course of events, we meet the last king to rule over Judah: Zedekiah.

Let’s take a few minutes to learn more about who Zedekiah is.

Around 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, captured Jerusalem, robbed the temple, and deported most of the leaders and politically powerful members of Judahite society (2 Kgs 24:13-16).

Rather than install a Babylonian government, Nebuchadnezzar gave power to a member of the Davidic family: Mattaniah. He changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah (2 Kgs 24:17).

Zedekiah began his eleven-year reign at 21, ruling Judah between the first and second Babylonian exiles (597, 586 BC).

Though Zedekiah was one of David’s descendants, he ruled Judah as a Babylonian vassal. As such, he was expected to pay tribute to the Babylonian king and fulfill other expectations. He would be deposed and punished if he failed to honor this treaty.

Rebellion and Alliances: Zedekiah’s Attempt to Regain Independence

During his reign, Zedekiah faced pressure to seek Egypt’s assistance to rebel against Babylon. At first, Zedekiah remained loyal to Babylon.

However, over time Zedekiah sought Egypt’s assistance in rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar. This fateful decision led to the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in Zedekiah’s ninth year (2 Kgs 24:20; 25:1).

The exact timeline for the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem is difficult to reconstruct. The siege lasted more than one year and less than two years. Based on data from Jeremiah, sixteen months is as good of a guess as any.

It is worth remembering that Babylon did not just destroy Jerusalem at this time. They decimated the entire kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah 34:6-7 describes a time just before the end of the Babylonian conquest in which only three cities remained: Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah.

Archaeological discoveries in city of Lachish corroborate Jeremiah’s account and provide insights into the tragic last days of Judah.

Archaeologists discovered ostraca in Lachish, which are broken pots with writing on them. A couple of these ostraca describe events just before Babylon conquered the city.

Ostracon 3 describes a Judean commander going to Egypt. It seems to confirm that Egypt did support Zedekiah initially. Ostracon 4 mentions the inhabitants of Lachish watching the smoke signals of Jerusalem, presumably because they were the last cities standing (cf., Jer 34:6-7).

As the siege progressed, the conditions in Jerusalem deteriorated. Struck with famine and dwindling resources, the city succumbed to the Babylonians roughly a year and a half after the attack began.

Zedekiah’s Downfall

When the Babylonians breached the city’s walls Zedekiah and some of his soldiers tried to escape. They fled towards Jericho in a desperate attempt to escape the clutches of Nebuchadnezzar’s power.

When the Babylonian soldiers overtake them, Zedekiah’s men abandon him. He is led alone to Nebuchadnezzar at the city of Riblah.

What happens next is deeply tragic and symbolic. Nebuchadnezzar forces Zedekiah to watch his sons’ execution before having his eyes blinded. This punishment is traumatic to Zedekiah, the kingdom of Judah, and all who read the Book of Kings.

Zedekiah’s last image on earth is the death of his sons.
The Kingdom of Judah sees Zedekiah’s family line snuffed out.
The reader wonders whether the same will happen to the entire family line of David.

After being blinded, Zedekiah is taken to Babylon where he dies as a political prisoner.

This era of the kingdom of Judah looms large in the Bible. Numerous prophetic texts address this moment in the story.

The prophet Jeremiah returns to the story numerous times (cf., Jeremiah 27:1-11; 37:1-21; 38:14-28; 39:1-10; 52:4-30).

Ezekiel refers to the events in 17:15; 21:21-22.

Additionally, Lamentations 4 is a mournful poem about Jerusalem’s demise.

That’s a quick introduction to King Zedekiah.

If you want to improve your knowledge of God’s word, you should check out Quiz Through the Bible. It’s designed to help you get more familiar with the Bible’s content.

Thanks for reading,

Tyler Fulcher

Quiz Through the Bible

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The post Who was King Zedekiah? first appeared on My Bible School.

2 Kings 25 Commentary

TylersFulcher — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:19:55 +0000

Commentary on 2 Kings 25

The End of the Kingdom of Judah

***This blog post is an on-going commentary on 2 Kings 25. I add new content to it regularly.

2 Kings 25:1

וַיְהִי֩ בִשְׁנַ֨ת הַתְּשִׁיעִ֜ית לְמָלְכ֗וֹ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי֮ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ֒ בָּ֠א נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֨ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל ה֧וּא וְכָל־חֵיל֛וֹ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם וַיִּ֣חַן עָלֶ֑יהָ וַיִּבְנ֥וּ עָלֶ֖יהָ דָּיֵ֥ק סָבִֽיב׃

Now in the ninth year of his (Zedekiah’s) reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and all his army came upon Jerusalem, and he camped against it, and they built siege walls all around.

Commentary

2 Kgs 25 opens with a chronological notice describing the historical setting for the events discussed in the chapter. Two facts are worth remembering.

First, the reference to the ninth year of his reign (בִשְׁנַ֨ת הַתְּשִׁיעִ֜ית לְמָלְכ֗וֹ) is about Zedekiah and not Nebuchadnezzar. 2 Kgs 24:18 states that Zedekiah reigned over Judah for eleven years. Thus, Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem begins less than two years before the end of Zedekiah’s reign.

Second, the tenth month of the year is not a reference to October. Instead, the tenth month refers to some time in December-January. While there is some dispute, the events described in this chapter occurred around 587-586 BC (cf., Sweeney 2013, 466; Hobbs 1985, 361).

According to v. 1, Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem with his whole army. However, if you read 2 Kgs 25:6, Nebuchadnezzar is at Riblah, which would have been in the far northern part of Israel. Additionally, Jer 38:17 says that Jerusalem fails to Nebuchadnezzar’s generals.

So, which is it? Did Nebuchadnezzar attack Jerusalem or not?

The answer is quite simple. Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem via his army.

We frequently describe the exploits of famous generals in World War II when we know full well that they seldom went to the front lines. Instead, lower-ranked generals conducted the operation.

The same is true with Nebuchadnezzar. While he may have visited the siege of Jerusalem at some point, he orchestrated the attack from Riblah. The apparent discrepancy between v. 1 and v. 6 is superficial and reflects a common way of talking about major figures in war (cf., Hobbs 1985, 361; Montgomery 1951, 560).

A final question to consider in v. 1 is the meaning of the word often translated as “siege works” or “siege ramps.” The Hebrew word is dayeq (דָּיֵ֥ק). Rather than referring to ramps that lead up to the walls of Jerusalem, a dayeq may have been a mobile tower-like structure from which archers could shoot arrows into the city (Hobbs 1985, 361).

2 Kings 25:2

וַתָּבֹ֥א הָעִ֖יר בַּמָּצ֑וֹר עַ֚ד עַשְׁתֵּ֣י עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃

So, the city was besieged until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

Commentary

Verse 2 summarizes roughly a year and a half.

The account in 2 Kgs is ambiguous about the exact amount of time. The siege began in Zedekiah’s 9th year and continued into his 11th. Based on the data in Jer 52:6, it lasted for 16 months (Hobbs 1985, 362).

2 Kings 25:3

בְּתִשְׁעָ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ וַיֶּחֱזַ֥ק הָרָעָ֖ב בָּעִ֑יר וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה לֶ֖חֶם לְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃

On the ninth of the month, the famine seized the city so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

Commentary

As with the previous two verses, 2 Kings 25:3 begins with a chronological notice. The events described. take place on the ninth of the month (בְּתִשְׁעָ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ). Most English translations add “of the fourth month” to this verse. They do so based on Jeremiah 52:6.

Jeremiah 52:6 (NRSV)

On the ninth day of the fourth month (בַּחֹ֤דֶשׁ הָֽרְבִיעִי֙) the famine became so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

2 Kings 25:3 (NRSV)

On the ninth day ~~of the fourth month~~ the famine became so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

Whether the additional phrase is original to this text is irrelevant. A reference to the fourth month is plausible based on a reconstruction of the chronology of the events.

The famine is the more critical information introduced in this verse. Siege warfare is intended to induce famine and starvation. According to v. 3, the Babylonian strategy worked.

The Hebrew way of speaking vividly paints the picture. The famine (הָרָעָ֖ב) is personified in this verse. It functions as the subject of the verb. It seizes the city.

If the siege lasted sixteen months, the people had not planted or harvested their fields for two full cycles (Sweeney 2007, 466). Whatever reserves they had left in the city were depleted by this time.

While a famine is a natural byproduct of siege warfare, we should not overlook the theological significance of this famine at the end of the Book of Kings.

Jeremiah 38 explains that the Babylonian siege and the resultant famine were a part of God’s plan. The people were experiencing YHWH’s punishment because they violated their covenant with Him.

According to the perspective of 1-2 Kings, the people had been building towards this moment through their repeated rebellion against YHWH.

2 Kings 25:4

וַתִּבָּקַ֣ע הָעִ֗יר וְכָל־אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַמִּלְחָמָ֤ה׀ הַלַּ֨יְלָה֙ דֶּ֜רֶךְ שַׁ֣עַר׀ בֵּ֣ין הַחֹמֹתַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְכַשְׂדִּ֥ים עַל־הָעִ֖יר סָבִ֑יב וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָֽה׃

Then the city was broken and all the men of war that night. The way of the gate between the walls which were by the king’s garden. Also the Chaldeans were against the city on all sides. And he went to the road of Arabah.

Commentary

If you’re confused by this translation, you should be. It’s a fairly literal translation of the Hebrew text we have for this verse, and it does not make much sense.

If you read in English, you’ll see something like this:

Then a breach was made in the city wall; “the king” with all the soldiers fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. “They went” in the direction of the Arabah. (NRSV)

The NRSV smoothes out this verse by adding a couple of words (”the king”, “fled”) and changing a verb from singular (”he went”) to plural (”they went”).

When we encounter verses like this, it is helpful to remember that Bible translators are working with ancient manuscripts copied by hand. Mistakes happened. The changes made by the NRSV translators are based on either context or other ancient manuscripts.

So, what is this verse saying?

After sixteen months of siege warfare, the Babylonians finally burst through Jerusalem’s defenses (”the city was broken”).

Rather than fighting like Davy Crockett and his men at the Alamo (sorry, that was my favorite movie as a kid), King Zedekiah and his men tried to escape. The exact location from which they left the city is unclear, but the result is that they are headed down the Arabah road, which leads to Jericho (Sweeney 2007, 466).

As several scholars note, taking the road to Jericho carries symbolic significance. Israel’s first victory was in Jericho (Joshua 6). Judah’s king faces final defeat on the way to Jericho (Provan 2012, 278).

2 Kings 25:5

וַיִּרְדְּפ֤וּ חֵיל־כַּשְׂדִּים֙ אַחַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּשִּׂ֥גוּ אֹתוֹ֖ בְּעַרְב֣וֹת יְרֵח֑וֹ וְכָל־חֵילֹ֔ו נָפֹ֖צוּ מֵעָלָֽיו׃

The Chaldeans pursued after the king and they caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, but all his (Zedekiah’s) soldiers deserted him.

Commentary

Technically speaking, the Chaldeans are a people group within Babylon (see Dan 2:2). The biblical authors, however, frequently equated the Chaldeans with the Babylonians as a whole (AYBD 1992, 886).

For example, Isaiah 48:14 uses the two terms as synonyms:

The Lord loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans. (NRSV)

Though centuries have passed at this point, Abraham’s family came from the land of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:28). In an ironic and tragic way, the story of Israel/Judah has come full circle.

Nebuchadnezzar’s army notices Zedekiah trying to escape, and they catch up with him. While the route to Jericho may have been Zedekiah’s only option, the plains did not afford him an opportunity to conceal his movements.

When Nebuchadnezzar’s army catches Zedekiah, the rest of the escapees abandon their leader in an attempt to save their lives.

2 Kings 25:6

The Chaldeans pursued after the king and they caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, but all his (Zedekiah’s) soldiers deserted him.

Commentary

Technically speaking, the Chaldeans are a people group within Babylon. The biblical authors, however, frequently equated the Chaldeans with the Babylonians (Hess 1992, 886).

For example, Isaiah 48:14 uses the two terms as synonyms:

The Lord loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans. (NRSV)

Though centuries have passed at this point, Abraham’s family came from the land of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:28).

So, Nebuchadnezzar’s army notices Zedekiah trying to escape and they catch up with him. While the route to Jericho may have been Zedekiah’s only option, the plains did not afford him any way to conceal his movements.

When Nebuchadnezzar’s army catches Zedekiah, the rest of the escapees abandon their leader in an attempt to save their lives.

2 Kings 25:7

וְאֶת־בְּנֵי֙ צִדְקִיָּ֔הוּ שָׁחֲט֖וּ לְעֵינָ֑יו וְאֶת־עֵינֵ֤י צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ֙ עִוֵּ֔ר וַיַּאַסְרֵ֨הוּ֙ בַֽנְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ בָּבֶֽל׃

The sons of Zedekiah, they slaughtered before his eyes. The eyes of Zedekiah he blinded. Then they bound him in bronze fetters and they brought him to Babylon.

Commentary

This translation of 2 Kgs 25:7 reads a little awkwardly because I’ve tried to preserve the word order in Hebrew. The way this verse is written contributes to its rhetorical force.

Here are three interesting observations:

1) The word order deliberately emphasizes Zedekiah’s punishment.

Hebrew sentences normally follow a Verb (V), Subject (S), and Object (O) pattern.

For example: Threw (V) John (S) the ball (O).

The first two sentences in this verse begin with the object (”the sons of Zedekiah” and “the eyes of Zedekiah”). In both instances, the change of word order emphasizes Zedekiah’s punishment. Nebuchadnezzar executes Zedekiah’s sons and blinds his eyes.

2) The word order emphasizes Zedekiah’s eyes

The end of the first sentence and the beginning of the second sentence mention Zedekiah’s eyes. This structure emphasizes the tragedy Zedekiah endures. His last image on ear is the execution of his sons.

3) The execution ends Zedekiah’s royal line

In addition to being a tragedy, the execution of Zedekiah’s sons is symbolic. It eliminates Zedekiah’s family line from ruling over the kingdom of Judah.

Bibliography

Wray Beal, Lissa M. 1 & 2 Kings. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
James Alan Montgomery, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Kings., International Critical Commentary (New York: Scribner, 1951), 560.
Sweeney, Marvin A. I & II Kings : A Commentary. 1st ed., Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.
Hobbs, T. Raymond. 2 Kings. Word Biblical Commentary 13. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1985.
Leithart, Peter J. 1 & 2 Kings. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2006. Leithart, Peter J.
Provan, Iain W. 1 & 2 Kings. Edited by W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
Richard S. Hess, “Chaldea (Place),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 886.
John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 207.

The post 2 Kings 25 Commentary first appeared on My Bible School.

2 Kings 11 Commentary

TylersFulcher — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:18:57 +0000

2 Kings 11 | Commentary

***This blog post is an on-going commentary on 2 Kings 11. I add new content to it each week.

Athaliah, Joash, and Jehoiada

2 Kings 11:1

וַֽעֲתַלְיָה֙ אֵ֣ם אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ רָאֲתָ֖ה כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת בְּנָ֑הּ וַתָּ֨קָם֙ וַתְּאַבֵּ֔ד אֵ֖ת כָּל־זֶ֥רַע הַמַּמְלָכָֽה׃

Now Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead. So she got up and destroyed all the royal descendants.

Commentary

2 Kgs 11:1 begins with a vav conjunction (ו = “now”) that connects the story we are about to read with the events that transpired in the previous chapters (e.g., 2 Kgs 9-10).

Hebrew sentences typically begin with the verb and then introduce the subject followed by the object (e.g., “threw John the ball“), but verse one begins with the subject. Placing Athaliah (עֲתַלְיָה֙) at the beginning of the sentence puts her in focus as one of the main characters throughout the rest of the chapter.

The focus on Athaliah continues with the next phrase: “Ahaziah’s mother” (אֵ֣ם אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ). The phrase is in apposition to Athliah, which means “Ahaziah’s mother” further specifies Athaliah’s identity.

After introducing the main character and identifying her as Ahaziah’s mother, the reader finally encounters the sentence’s first verb: רָאֲתָ֖ה = “she saw.” What does she see? She sees the result of the events described in the previous chapters: her son is dead (כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת בְּנָ֑הּ).

This last phrase “her son was dead” (כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת בְּנָ֑הּ) ends the first half of the verse, which provides the background for the events about to take place.

Next, the author describes Athaliah’s actions with two consecutive verbs: “she got up” (וַתָּ֨קָם֙) and “destroyed” (וַתְּאַבֵּ֔ד). The second verb, translated as “destroyed”, frequently appears in this form (i.e., Piel) in contexts related to political conflict (cf., 2 Kgs 10:19; 11:1; 19:18; Jer 40:15; 46:8; [TDOT, 22]).

The final phrase “all the royal descendants” (אֵ֖ת כָּל־זֶ֥רַע הַמַּמְלָכָֽה) establishes the story’s major tension. Remember, Ahaziah was the king of Judah, which makes him a descendant of David. When Athaliah kills all the royal descendants, that raises a major question:

How can God’s covenant with David (cf., 2 Sam 7) be true if all of David’s descendants are dead? No Davidic heir can sit on the throne if they are all dead.

Bibliography

Benedikt Otzen, “אָבַד,” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, ed. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, trans. John T. Willis (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977) 22.

The post 2 Kings 11 Commentary first appeared on My Bible School.

The Genre of the Gospels

TylersFulcher — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:59:06 +0000

The Literary Genre of the Gospels

A key insight for reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Tyler S. Fulcher

What kind of literature are the four gospels?

Answering that question is critical for reading the accounts of Jesus’s life well.

This blog post compares and contrast the Gospel accounts with other ancient biographies.

Which section of the library?

In his Introduction to the New Testament, David deSilva asks, “How would the first-century librarian have classified the Gospels?” (2018, 117).

We approach books differently depending what type of literature (aka literary genre) we think it is.

If we are reading a fiction book, we look at the plot and tension. If we’re reading a comic book, we expect humor. If we read a historical account of World War II, we expect accurate details and explanations.

Understanding a book’s genre influences the way we read it.

The same is true with ancient literature. How we approach the gospels is affected by the type of literature we understand it to be.

The “Gospel” Section?

The word “gospel” means good news. That’s a good description of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but it doesn’t identify the literary genre.

Instead, deSilva argues that the gospel accounts should be understood as a type of ancient biography.

He writes: “Justin Martyr (d. 164 CE) called the Gospels “memorabilia” (apomnēmoneumata), the “memoirs of the apostles,” recalling Xenophon’s Memorabilia, a kind of biography of Socrates” (20018, 118).

In Greek literature, stories about important figures were often referred to as bios.

Defining Features of Bios.

Ancient biographies differed in important ways from modern biographies.

Modern biographies are often interested in the chronology of a person’s life, important events, and the development of his or her thoughts.

Ancient biographies were often more concerned with demonstrating the main character’s virtue and persuading the reader to imitate the subject’s life.

Rather than following a strictly chronological framework, ancient biographies often followed thematic patterns. Additionally, these biographies spent significant time discussing the person’s death and the virtue with which he faced it.

The rationale behind the thematic arrangement and focus on virtuous death is tied to the ancient biographies purpose. As deSilva writes, “The ancient biography, the bios, had thus a deeply moral and exemplary character” (2018, 119).

How to Read the Gospels as Ancient Biographies

If the Gospels are ancient biographies, how should we read them?

While that is a huge question that deserves much more space, we can make a few helpful observations.

1) Don’t expect chronological accuracy.

The Gospel authors were not concerned with the chronology of Jesus’s life. In general they often present Jesus’s life in a chronological order, but they abandon that framework as often as they deem necessary.

2) Expect persuasive writing.

A defining feature of ancient biographies was persuasion. Authors told stories about a virtuous person hoping to convince the reader that they should imitate the subject of the biography.

The Gospel authors want their readers to imitate Jesus.

3) Examine the way Jesus approached death.

Ancient biographers often spent considerable time explaining how the subject of the biography approached death virtuously.

The Gospels spend significant space exploring the events surrounding Jesus’s death and his resurrection.

These events are critical to understanding the Gospel message.

That’s all for this post!

I’d love to hear what you found most interesting about the Gospels’ literary genre.

Send me an email and let me know.

Sources:

David A. deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, Second Edition. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2018).

*This is an Amazon affiliate link. If you purchase something through it, I make a small commission.

The post The Genre of the Gospels first appeared on My Bible School.

Introduction to Old Testament Theology

TylersFulcher — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 19:25:23 +0000

Introduction to Old Testament Theology

An in-depth summary of John Sailhamer’s work.

Tyler S. Fulcher

Understanding Old Testament theology can be a challenge for many pastors.

John Sailhamer’s Introduction to Old Testament Theology offers valuable insights that can help pastors preach the Old Testament with greater clarity and confidence.

This blog post is an extended summary of Sailhamer’s work. I highly recommend you pick it up.

All are welcome to read the post, but my hope is that this summary will benefit pastors. This goal guides my approach in the summary as you will see.

Chapter One: Introduction

In his opening chapter, Sailhamer introduces key concepts that shape how we approach Old Testament theology and outlines the challenges we must address.

1. Theology as a Science?

Sailhamer makes a bold yet intriguing argument: theology can be understood as a science. While it may seem unusual to compare theology with disciplines like biology or astrophysics, there are important similarities. All these fields seek to explore and explain their subjects through careful study and examination. In the case of theology, the subject is God’s revelation.

Since Christians believe God reveals Himself through creation and Scripture, this divine revelation can be studied and understood. Sailhamer writes, “Theology, being to some extent also a science, is an attempt to formulate God’s revelation into themes and propositions. It is the scientific explication of revelation” (Sailhamer 1995, 13).

As pastors, this view challenges us to approach the Old Testament with the mindset that we are carefully studying God’s message to humanity. Consequently, we should subject ourselves to a rigorous process of study and be open to revising our positions when we grasp certain concepts better.

2. The Old Testament as Divine Revelation

A key challenge in Old Testament theology is whether we acknowledge the Old Testament as divine revelation. Sailhamer points out that some scholars may view the Old Testament as merely an ancient religious text, no different from other religious writings.

For Sailhamer, this is a critical point of departure. He asserts that viewing the Old Testament as divinely inspired is fundamental to giving it authoritative status. His theology, like the historic Christian claim, starts with the belief that the Bible—Old Testament included—is God’s revelation to humanity. This perspective can strengthen a pastor’s conviction when preaching from the Old Testament, knowing that it carries divine authority.

3. The Old Testament in Light of the New

Since Sailhamer’s focus is on Old Testament theology, he highlights both the opportunity and challenge of interpreting it within the broader Christian framework. The very term “Old Testament” implies the existence of a “New Testament.”

Sailhamer emphasizes two critical points for preachers:

First, the Old Testament is always viewed in light of the New Testament. It naturally anticipates the arrival of Christ and the New Testament’s fulfillment. As Sailhamer writes, “OT theology anticipates the study of NT theology, and there is no possibility of working without this anticipation” (Sailhamer 1995, 23).

Second, the Old Testament stands alone with a unique message. While the New Testament fulfills its promises, the Old Testament retains its own integrity and meaning.

This means pastors must honor both the continuity between the Testaments and the distinctiveness of the Old Testament’s message. It speaks to us today not just as a precursor to the New Testament, but as a powerful testament of God’s work in its own right.

Conclusion: Strengthening Your Preaching of the Old Testament

Sailhamer’s insights help pastors preach the Old Testament with greater understanding and confidence. By treating theology as a disciplined study of God’s revelation, recognizing the Old Testament’s divine authority, and respecting its unique message, pastors can engage with the text more fully. This approach empowers you to connect Old Testament themes to the broader biblical narrative while affirming the richness of its standalone message.

When preparing sermons, let these principles guide your exploration of the Old Testament, knowing that it offers profound truths that can shape and deepen your congregation’s faith.

Chapter Two: Methodology

In the second chapter, Sailhamer describes the various approaches to Old Testament Theology adopted by different scholars. He identifies four sets of options to doing Old Testament Theology.

Text or Event – These approaches differ over where they think revelation resides.
Critical or Canonical – The critical approach takes the OT apart to recover its earliest forms, whereas the canonical assumes its form is equivalent with what we have in the canon.
Descriptive or confessional – The former treats the Bible like any other text. The latter treats it as a confessional document demanding confessional interpretive presuppositions.
Diachronic or Synchronic – The diachronic looks at the development of the OT. The synchronic looks at its meaning as a whole.

Over the next several chapters, Sailhamer explores each of these topics in greater depth.

The post Introduction to Old Testament Theology first appeared on My Bible School.

IVP Bible Background Commentaries

TylersFulcher — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 19:47:46 +0000

IVP Bible Background Commentaries

(Recommended Resource)

Every pastor should own the IVP Bible Background Commentaries on the Old and New Testaments.

Here are three reasons why:

1) Knowing the Bible’s Historical Background is Critical.

Let’s face it. The Bible is an ancient book from a wildly different culture.

We cannot hope to understand it well or help the people in our churches understand it without studying the historical, cultural, and social background of the Bible.

The IVP Bible Background Commentaries provide a quick reference to make sure you don’t miss an important piece of information about the passage from which you are preaching.

2) They are Incredibly Convenient.

The IVP Bible Background Commentaries conveniently provide important insights about major background issues for the whole Bible. In just two books, you get access to background issues for the whole Bible.

3) They are Accessible.

While many biblical commentaries wade deep into academic arguments, the IVP Bible Background Commentaries provide excellent scholarship in an accessible manner. The notes are easy to read and understand. They don’t require years of specialized study.

Bonus Reason: You can usually find used copies of these books on Amazon for $15-20.

If you’re interested, here are links to both of these commentaries.

Walton, John H., et al. The IVP Bible Background Commentary : Old Testament. IVP Academic, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament. 2nd ed., InterVarsity Press, 2014.

The post IVP Bible Background Commentaries first appeared on My Bible School.

1 Kings 3:16-28

TylersFulcher — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 13:51:38 +0000

1 Kings 3:16-28

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

***This is an ongoing project. As I work through the passage, I will add more notes and commentary.

1 Kings 3:16

Notes

This passage starts with the word “then” (אָ֣ז), which signals a change in time. In the previous story (1 Kgs 3:1-15), Solomon encountered YHWH in a dream at Gibeon. The narrator doesn’t tell us exactly when the events in this story (1 Kgs 3:16-28) take place, but it is presumably sometime after Solomon’s dream. We also immediately encounter two of the main characters, but we don’t know much about them. The narrator simply tells us they are two women (שְׁתַּ֛יִם נָשִׁ֥ים) who were prostitutes (זֹנ֖וֹת), they entered (תָּבֹ֗אנָה) into the king‘s presence (אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ), and they stood before him(וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖דְנָה לְפָנָֽיו).

With this simple verse, much of the stage is set for the ensuing story. We have the three main characters (i.e., two prostitutes and Solomon) and the location (the king’s presence ~ Jerusalem 1 Kgs 3:15).

I want to draw your attention to two details that play an important role in our understanding of the passage.

First, the narrator describes the women as prostitutes (זֹנ֖וֹת = ). This detail carries several implications for our reading of the passage. We need to familiarize ourselves with the words meaning and theological significance before we can determine its significance in this passage.

The Hebrew word often translated as prostitute (זֹנָה = zonah) has a broader meaning than the English term suggests. There are two main ways zonah (זֹנָה) is used in the Old Testament: literal and metaphorical.

The literal meaning can refer to sexual activity exchanged for compensation, it can also refer to any sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage (TDOT). Notably, this is a term that is reserved primarily for women’s activities. There is a separate word (נָאַף = nāʾap) typically reserved for men’s illicit sexual activity.

In addition to our passage, literal uses of zonah appears in several famous biblical stories (Tamar: Gen 38:15; Rahab: Josh 2:1; Jephthah’s mother: Judg 11:1).

The metaphorical meaning developed out of the literal. Just as all sexual activity must be confined to the covenant relationship between a man and a woman, so to all idolatrous worship must be avoided because of the covenant relationship between YHWH and Israel. The prophetic literature frequently uses zonah as metaphorical language for idolatry. Hosea (in)famously uses the image of prostitution (zonah) to describe Israel’s covenant violations.

Hosea 1:2 (NRSV)

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom (זְנוּנִים = zenunim) and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom (זְנוּנִים = zenunim) by forsaking the Lord.”

Notably, YHWH intends for Hosea’s marriage to Gomer to reflect YHWH’s covenant relationship with Israel. Just as Gomer is unfaithful to Hosea, Israel is unfaithful to YHWH.

So, what are we to make of this information? Why does it matter that the two women who approach Solomon are prostitutes (זֹנ֖וֹת)?

Scholars have explained this in various, but not necessarily mutually exclusive, ways. Some have suggested that their vocation demonstrates Solomon’s ability/willingness to govern all socio-economic classes in his kingdom. Others suggest the story’s plot depends, in part, on their being prostitutes. It explains why no fathers are mentioned in the story and why the women might live in the same house.

Finally, some scholars suggest the narrator is making a larger statement about Solomon’s kingdom with the presence of two prostitutes. The larger context of the passage lends support to this view. In 1 Kings 3:1-2, Solomon marries an Egyptian princess and the people are offering sacrifices at high places (i.e., not in Jerusalem).

Both issues lead to major problems throughout the book. Solomon’s marriage to foreign women leads him into idolatry (i.e., spiritual prostitution) and the sacrifices at high places repeatedly plague Israelite religion and violate YHWH’s covenant with the people (i.e., spiritual prostitution).

If this third option is in view, which I think it is, then the narrator is encouraging the reader to pay attention to potential associations between these two women and issues of national idolatry.

Second, notice that the narrator does not say the women “came to King Solomon” (הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה) He says “the king” (הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ). In fact, at no point in this passage (1 Kgs 3:16-28) does the narrator every explicitly identify Solomon as the king. Obviously, Solomon is the king in question. There is no disputing that. However, as readers, we must grapple with the following question: Why doesn’t the narrator explicitly identify Solomon as the king?

As we work through this passage, we will return to these two issues. For now, I just want to flag the topics for you. So, let me summarize with two questions:

Is it important that these women are prostitutes (זֹנ֖וֹת)?
Why doesn’t the narrator explicitly identify the king (הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ) as Solomon?

The post 1 Kings 3:16-28 first appeared on My Bible School.

My Bible School

The Cost of Discipleship

A Summary of The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Contents

Introduction

Costly Grace

Chapter Two: The Call to Discipleship

Chapter Three: Single-Minded Obedience

Chapter Four: Discipleship and the Cross

Chapter Five: Discipleship and the Individual

Chapter Six: The Beatitudes

Chapter Seven: The Visible Community

Chapter Eight: The Righteousness of Christ

Chapter Nine: The Brother

Acts 29 and Your Church

Introduction to Church History

Objectives of these Posts

Acts 29, 30, 31…

Reflection

Did you enjoy this blog post?

1 Kings 17 Commentary

1 Kings 17 | Notes

Bibliography

Support mybibleschool

Who was King Zedekiah?

Who was King Zedekiah?

Zedekiah’s Rise to Power

Rebellion and Alliances: Zedekiah’s Attempt to Regain Independence

Zedekiah’s Downfall

That’s a quick introduction to King Zedekiah.

If you want to improve your knowledge of God’s word, you should check out Quiz Through the Bible. It’s designed to help you get more familiar with the Bible’s content.

Thanks for reading,

Tyler Fulcher

2 Kings 25 Commentary

Commentary on 2 Kings 25

2 Kings 25:1

Commentary

2 Kings 25:2

Commentary

2 Kings 25:3

Commentary

2 Kings 25:4

Commentary

2 Kings 25:5

Commentary

2 Kings 25:6

Commentary

2 Kings 25:7

Commentary

Bibliography

2 Kings 11 Commentary

2 Kings 11 | Commentary

2 Kings 11:1

Commentary

Bibliography

The Genre of the Gospels

The Literary Genre of the Gospels

Which section of the library?

The “Gospel” Section?

Defining Features of Bios.

How to Read the Gospels as Ancient Biographies

Introduction to Old Testament Theology

Introduction to Old Testament Theology

Chapter One: Introduction

1. Theology as a Science?

2. The Old Testament as Divine Revelation

3. The Old Testament in Light of the New

Conclusion: Strengthening Your Preaching of the Old Testament

Chapter Two: Methodology

IVP Bible Background Commentaries

IVP Bible Background Commentaries

1 Kings 3:16-28

1 Kings 3:16-28

1 Kings 3:16