Tag: Literary context
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Between the Testaments, But Not Between the Covenants
For most Christians, traveling from the Old Testament to the New Testament takes about a second. Malachi ends. We turn a page. Matthew begins. That simple page turn can obscure nearly four centuries of history. We sometimes call those centuries the intertestamental period or the 400 silent years. Both descriptions make sense from the perspective of our Christian…
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The Faithful Remnant: A Story as Old as the Bible
The faithful remnant is a pattern woven throughout the Old Testament. Even when rebellion, idolatry, and exile seem to dominate the story, Scripture repeatedly introduces people who continue to trust God. From Noah to Elijah to the prophets and the exile, their presence reminds us that the spiritual condition of the majority never tells the…
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Recognition: An Overlooked Pattern in the Gospels
Recognition is one of the most overlooked patterns in the Gospels. While many readers instinctively view every encounter with Jesus as a conversion story, the Gospel writers often describe people recognizing the fulfillment of hopes they already possessed. This essay explores how paying attention to that pattern can open a richer way of reading the…
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Read the Character Before the Conversation
Before interpreting a Gospel conversation, first read how the Gospel writer introduces the character. Discover a simple reading habit that changes how you read the New Testament.