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Showing posts from July, 2015

Bible Study 101: Progressive Revelation

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"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." - (Heb 4:14, NASB)    "I love the Old Testament, and I want you to love the Old Testament too." These were the first words I heard in my OT survey class at SAGU my first semester. It stuck. My professor did an excellent job, because I love the Old Testament. One reason that I enjoy the OT so much is that is helps in understanding the deeper things of God pertaining to His nature and plan for man.    Progressive revelation is a term that is not heard much in church these days. Charles Hodge describes progressive revelation nicely: "The progressive character of divine revelation is recognized in relation to all the great doctrines of the Bible... What at first is only obscurely intimated is gradually unfolded in subsequent parts of the sacred volume, until the truth is revealed in its fulness." As we move through

Biblical Apprenticeship

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"...Go therefore and make disciples... ” - (Matt. 28:18-20)   The Greek word mathetai is the term we usually translate as disciple, and it expresses the idea of "student" or "pupil". To me, the best understanding today of the biblical principle of disciples is apprentices. Think about it, in a typical apprenticeship a new generation of practitioners are prepared with on-the-job training and often some accompanying classroom work and reading.  Apprenticeships typically last 3 to 6 years, and generally involve four steps:     (1)  Commitment - At this level the apprentice makes the commitment to stay the course by receiving the education and training necessary to become the “journeyman”.       (2) Classroom - At this phase, the apprentice receives the information necessary to understand and work within the sphere of labor.      (3) Training - At this phase, the apprentice begins to put the information they have learned into practice. First by wat