Gospel of Thomas

How is this possible? That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:15, 16 Yeah, so? Well, here 's the thing: Believing leads to everlasting life. But only believing is not enough. If one believes in God, they would believe what Jesus said when He stated, I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye…

Genres and Figures of Speech Overwhelming for many, the Bible presents challenges as one begins to read it. Written by multiple authors, and inspired by God, it displays a variety of genres and figures of speech sprinkled throughout for the reader to experience. Becoming familiar with several of the different genres and figures of speech within the Bible, a person’s understanding of it will increase. Genres Apodictic Law One of two major types of legal material present in the Old Testament,…

Spiritual formation can be an overwhelming process. As the Lord begins to mold us and shape us into His image, the process takes us out of our comfort zone, and pushes us to live by blind faith. It is a process that brings forth a lot of tears, frustration, pruning, and sadness. The process can be extreme, but it births true happiness, joy, servanthood, and the authentic person we were created to be. This paper will discuss reconciliation, transformation process, spiritual formation in the…

Written primarily for Gentile believers and seekers of roughly 50-85AD (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p.1756), the purpose of The Gospel of John is clearly stated by its author (presumed to be the apostle John) - “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). John’s Gospel differs from the Synoptics in form and perspective - but not, of course, in the basic storyline. He is born as prophesied,…

Hendricks, Obery. The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus ' Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted. New York: Doubleday, 2006. Print. The book brings information about the political views of Jesus, if these political views shaped the revolutionary teaching of Jesus, and how so. Hendricks determines whether or not the teachings of Jesus were conservative and liberal in nature, and he puts them up against the political values of American society. He also…

can be determined that the two gospels present Jesus childhood in different ways, in fact Saint Matthew does not present with details the childhood of Jesus. Saint Matthew presents a genealogy of all the descendants of Jesus. Matthew places fourteen generations from Abraham and David, another fourteen from Abraham and transmigration to Babylon, and fourteen from then to Christ. With this, Matthew, as a catechist well trained and according to tradition directs his gospel to the converted Jews;…

The Jewish Influence on the Gospel of Matthew The evangelist who wrote the gospel of Matthew was most likely a scribe of Jewish-Christian origins. Historical evidence indicates that the work was written during the decade between eighty and ninety Common Era. By drawing on the gospel of Mark and the unknown “Q” source, the author of the gospel creates a different take on the narrative of Jesus’ life. By altering the narrative structure and using Old Testament references the author created the…

Revelation 1:1-20 introduces John, a witness of the word of God through Jesus Christ. God gave Jesus Christ a revelation of the things that must happen soon. Jesus Christ sent an angel to his servant John, where he then reveals of all he has seen. John reveals that those who listen and obey are blessed, for the time for God to come is near. This sections serves as an introduction to the mysteries that are about to be revealed through John. It also demonstrates that although John is the writer,…

Possible Influence of Patmos on John The island of Patmos is only mentioned once in the Bible, in Revelation 1. The word Patmos is translated literally as “my killing”, and the island is considered basical sterile by several sources (Davis, 1944 & Gospel Faith, 2016). Little will grow in its rocks. In the strictest sense, sterile means unable to produce offspring or infertile. The island is located in the Aegean Sea, southwest of Turkey. This is where the Emperor exiled John in AD 95…

Many famous works of literature draw upon the world’s most famous book for plot devices, character traits, and over-arching motifs. John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is a complete retelling of the story of Adam and Eve. C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and, more recently, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter both feature Christ-like sacrifices at one point in these series. For centuries, literary writers have toyed with adding Christian themes to their works, even if subtly. Lord of the Flies by…