The Church fathers quoted here lived in the second to third centuries. They are unanimous that Matthew wrote the first Gospel, and it was authoritative for them–so it should be for us too.
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
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Monthly Archives: April 2023
Man with Leprosy Is Healed
Passages: Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-15. What can we learn from this episode and apply it to our lives today, particularly those who pray regularly for healing?
Atonement: Bible Basics
This post looks at the major Scriptures about the atonement. It also asks whether the atonement is for everyone or for just the elect.
2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel
The Fathers quoted here lived in the second to third centuries. They are unanimous that Mark wrote the second Gospel, and it was authoritative for them–so it should be for us too.
Women Really Did Work as–and Were–Overseers, Elders, Pastors: A Close Look at 1 Timothy 5:9-10
This post has been thoroughly revised and updated. The verses we will look at describe male elders and overseers and pastors and elderly widows. Both men and women took care of the churches. Just like the men, the elderly women functioned as pastors, elders, and overseers throughout their redeemed lives, because they were those things. Scriptures: 1 Timothy 5:2, 9-10, 3:1-7, 11-13, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; 2:3-5; 1 Peter 2:25, 5:1-5.
Matthew 5:28 and Adultery in the Heart
Matthew 5:28 has been misused over and over again. What does it mean in its textual and OT contexts? Update: radio host Dennis Prager says that in Judaism a man can watch a little porn because the Torah does not forbid it. Judaism is about behavior, not inner thoughts.
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
The Fathers quoted here lived in the second to third centuries. They are unanimous that Luke wrote the third Gospel, and it was authoritative for them–so it should be for us too.
Were Jesus, James and John First Cousins? Was Clopas Jesus’ Uncle?
It’s frustrating to look at old family photos, say, a hundred years old, and not know who the people were. They were important enough to be included in the old shoe box filled with known photos, but their names and relationships have been lost to us. Updated.
Jesus Rebukes Fever Attacking Peter’s Mother-in-Law
Passages: Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke 4:38-39. We also look at Matthew 8:16-17, which says that the Messiah fulfills Isaiah 53:4, by taking their diseases and carrying their sicknesses.
When Did Jesus “Become” the Son of God?
I have added a Greek text + my slightly revised translation, and I answer the odd interpretation of Luke 1:35. Now, in my mind there is no doubt about the answer. Updated once again (December 11, 2024 and now October 31, 2025): more Scriptures!
4. Church Fathers and John’s Gospel
The Fathers quoted here lived in the second to third centuries. They are unanimous that John wrote the fourth Gospel, and it was authoritative for them–so it should be for us too.
Sanctification: Past, Present, Future
The moment you are saved, Christ becomes your sanctification. Now he works it out in you in slow, steady progress until the day you die and live again in heaven and then the new earth with your new body, when your sanctification will be completed.
Jesus Expels Demons from Man in Synagogue
Here begins a multipart series on every instance of healing and deliverance in the four Gospel and Acts, posted each Wednesday, for the rest of 2023.
In this post, Scriptures: Mark 1:21-28 and Luke 4:31-37. Let’s see how Jesus expelled the demons.
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 