Jesus has so far affirmed Pharisee soteriology. God first loves an individual. In response to God’s love, the individual cares to keep God’s Law. If a person keeps God’s Law, that person is righteous. God’s love is what brought the person into righteousness (i.e. saved the person). When the person kept the Law, that was... Continue Reading →
Have you ever seen God? Some of you will answer by telling me how you see God working or how you see God in nature or people. Those things are not God Himself. I will venture to guess that you have never seen God. Yet, we believe He is. A vast majority of people on... Continue Reading →
In these notes, I first show the point of John 3:1-2 by offering a biblical apologetic for Jesus as having the authority of a prophet to reveal new revelation. Then, I explore the theological environment of First Century Judea in order to provide historical context for Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus. It is no surprise that... Continue Reading →
From the debates between Paul and the Gnostics through the ancient dialogue between Augustine and Pelagius to the exchanges between Luther and Erasmus or Calvin’s disciples and those of Arminius to the more modern upheaval between the New Calvinists and Free Willists, the doctrine of election has dominated Christian discussion. Election is the doctrine that... Continue Reading →
After God instructed Israel to craft all of the specialty, custom items for the tent of meeting, He reveals that He has gifted certain individuals by His Spirit for the purpose of crafting these pieces artistically. God takes the credit for gifting His people for craftsmanship according to His own plans for the production of... Continue Reading →
https://feeds.castos.com/nxp3 God instructs Israel to honor the Sabbath day by keeping it holy—setting it apart. The seventh day, Saturday, was to be a day of rest from labor. Toil was to be done in six days. On Saturday, the people were not to work themselves, anyone, or anything else. They were to rest. God rested... Continue Reading →
https://feeds.castos.com/nxp3 God instructs Israel not to take His name, Yahweh, in vain. The Hebrew word translated as “take,” here ((נסא, means to raise up, exalt, or carry—literally covering every way in which God’s name can be taken—merely spoken, used in praise, or carried as the name of a people (e.g. Israel, Christian). To do anything... Continue Reading →
https://feeds.castos.com/733p8 Betrayal comes in many forms on this earth. Betrayal can come even from people with good intentions. You’ve heard the old adage, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Betrayal hurts. People we feel should support us shoot us down or stab us in the back. Unfortunately, betrayal is still a part... Continue Reading →
https://feeds.castos.com/nxp3 Along with having no other gods besides Yahweh, Israel is not to make any idols. Of course, if the people obey the first commandment and worship only Yahweh, they would not make idols anyway. Toys, statues, and images are not always idols. What makes these items idols is our service to them as if... Continue Reading →
https://feeds.castos.com/nxp3 God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are a summary of the whole Law. God first describes who He is and what He has done. His own character and action are the bases for the imperatives. God identifies Himself as Yahweh, Israel’s God. As Israel’s God, He brought Israel out of Egypt... Continue Reading →
andrew paul cannon 