What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Pharisee”? It’s probably not a happy picture. We usually think of them as solemn, joyless, stern, and, well, perhaps a little grumpy. Theoretically, the professed doctrinal statement of the Pharisees had much that should have
Introduction As we saw previously, 2:1–3:6 contains five pericopes (narrative sections) in which controversy looms large. Conflict is a predominate theme in these verses. Though there remains at this point a sense of secretiveness to those who do not grasp the story line (unbelievers), nevertheless,
Forgiveness: We all need it. Forgiveness: We all need to grant it. Forgiveness is our greatest need. So, why is this so difficult? We are often amazed when we read about someone who has committed a horrible crime being forgiven by their victim. It seems,
The great hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, serves as an important reminder of God’s love for his people. It serves as a great encouragement for us to pray to the one who is merciful. In fact, as we will learn below, he
