Dr Paul Allen

English: A page from the biblical minuscule manuscript with the first page of the Gospel of Matthew (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 7:21–23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (v. 21). Dr. James Montgomery Boice has pointed out the special irony of Jesus ’ warning about the wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15) when we consider it within the context of modern academia. We often refer to diplomas as “sheepskins” because that is the material on which such diplomas were originally printed. Today, many with “sheepskins,” or higher-level degrees, are teaching rank error in our colleges and Bible Colleges. These are clear instances of wolves speaking with the “respectability” of the sheep (The Gospel of Matthew , vol. 1, p. 115). Those who teach falsehoods usually have no desire to follow God ’s Word and care little if Scripture endors...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Author: Cripplegate. As Paul sits chained to a Roman soldier, waiting for his trial before Nero at which he would discover whether he would be released to minister freely or be executed at the hands of the Empire, he writes to the Philippians that he has an intense, yearning desire “to depart and be with Christ , for that is very much better” (Phil 1:23). Sadly, many professing Christians know little of such intense yearning. Many have become so distracted and enchanted by the allurements of this life that the idea of death and reunion with Christ is viewed as little more than an undesirable consolation prize for the failure to realize our worldly ambitions. Even in the pursuit of even good things, our hearts can grow cold to our Savior. The antidote for this—to learn to look upon the prospect of death with joy and anticipation, even as Paul did—is to stir up our hearts unto such a delight in what God has revealed that deat...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 13:51-52 "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old" ( v. 52 ). Matthew 13 , Jesus' third major discourse in the first gospel, is devoted to parables that explain God's kingdom in Christ . Verses 51-52 c onclude this discourse and look at the Old Testament 's role in the new covenant era. Before His final kingdom parable , Jesus asks His disciples if they have understood all that He has said ( v. 51 ). They answer yes, which is an overestimation of their insight since the disciples later have no clue about the nature of the kingdom and the suffering it entails. For example, Peter will object to the Lord's crucifixion ( 16:21-23 ) and all the disciples flee upon Christ's arrest in Gethsemane ( 26:47...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" ( v. 21 ). Dr. James Montgomery Boice has pointed out the special irony of Jesus' warning about the wolves in sheep's clothing ( Matt. 7:15 ) when we consider it within the context of modern academia. We often refer to diplomas as "sheepskins" because that is the material on which such diplomas were originally printed. Today, many with "sheepskins," or higher-level degrees, are teaching rank error in our Bible colleges. These are clear instances of wolves speaking with the "respectability" of the sheep (The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 1, p. 115). Those who teach falsehoods usually have no desire to follow God 's Word and care little if Scripture endorses their positions. We will probably not be taken off guard on...

Image via Wikipedia Galatians 5:19–21 is not an exhaustive listing of the works of the flesh , and verses 22–23 are likewise selective. Passages like 2 Peter 1:5–7 give spiritual fruits not found in Galatians; thus, we need to study all of Scripture in order to get a full record of the traits that define those who live by the Spirit. Those who have crucified the flesh (the remnant of opposition to God within) walk in the Spirit and bear His fruit. In fact, all who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, Paul reminds us (Gal. 5:24), but the Greek verb here tells us this crucifixion is both a past event and a lifelong effort. James Montgomery Boice ’s comments on Galatians in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary illustrate how this can be the case (vol. 10, pp. 499–500). True, Jesus defeated evil at Calvary, ending sin and death’s dominion. Yet just as a man nailed to a tree can live for days, gasping for breath despite being as good as dead, so too can our lingering sin rear...