Dr Paul Allen

I love the seemingly insignificant phrases in the Bible—phrases like the ones we find at the end of Genesis 1:16—“He also made the stars” (NIV)—or at the end of John’s gospel, where we are told the exact number of fish that Peter caught after Jesus had been raised from the dead—153 “large fish” (John 21:11). We frequently pass over these kinds of comments without giving them further thought.  But we must remember that there is no such thing as an insignificant phrase in the Bible. The Lord was not trying to fill up a minimum word or page count like many students try to do today with their writing assignments. Everything the Bible says is essential, and God intends to teach us something. Rather than passing over these phrases, we should consider what God might be trying to teach us through them. The account of the feeding of the five thousand, recorded in all four Gospels, contains several seemingly insignificant phrases—but one in particular has recently grabbed my attention. In John 6

  “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” ( John 10:27 ) The Christian believer and his characteristics are described in terms of many colorful metaphors in the Bible. In our text, Christ calls us “my sheep,” and has also said: “I am the good shepherd, . . . and I lay down my life for the sheep” ( John 10:14-15 ). If we are truly His sheep, then we will surely follow Him, receiving safety, peace, and nourishment. He has also said: “Ye are the salt of the earth: . . . Ye are the light of the world” ( Matthew 5:13-14 ). We are therefore expected to bring the salt of preservation and joy to a bland, tasteless, and otherwise decaying world, and the light of salvation to a dark, sinful world. In another beautiful metaphor, the Lord Jesus has likened us to fruitful branches: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” ( John 15:5 ). The apostle Paul compares us variously to soldiers, to athletes, and

“Then the LORD said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you’ ” (Gen. 31:3). Jacob may have started out his life as a deceiver, willing to lie and cheat in order to gain the place of promise (Gen. 25:29–34; 27), but he has proven himself to be teachable and emerges from his stay in Paddan-aram a better man (28:2). Humbled by his father-in-law’s trick, an example of talionic (eye-for-an-eye) justice (29:1–30), Jacob has labored long and hard for Laban, who has exploited his son-in-law’s godly desire to provide for his family (30:25–43). Though Laban has done all he could to keep Jacob and his services around indefinitely, God has thwarted him by prospering the patriarch’s efforts. Jacob’s hard work benefited his father-in-law (v. 27), but Laban’s family does not celebrate their wealth. Today’s passage tells us Jacob’s success angers Laban’s sons because it dwarfs their father’s profit (31:1). Laban earlier appreciated the great prosp

Christ in the Burning Bush (Photo credit: Lawrence OP ) 1 Peter  2:25  “For you were straying like sheep , but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” ( v. 25 ). A flock of sheep in the field is notorious for its tendency to wander about. When the flock has no shepherd, individual sheep can end up far away from their flock and in great danger. In his prophecy of the Suffering Servant , Isaiah tells us that we are like sheep that have gone astray (53:6). Like sheep, we are prone to wandering about aimlessly. We sin and lose our way, finding ourselves in all kinds of danger.  As with sheep, we are in need of a shepherd to guard us and to keep us in the fold.  Of course, as this passage tells us, Jesus is this Shepherd ( 1 Peter  2:25 ). Our Savior is the one who protects us and guides us. He is the one who restores us when we succumb to sin and find ourselves far from His presence. Peter also says Jesus is the “overseer,” or “bishop” (kjv) of our so

English: Good shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable : “What man of you, having a hundred sheep , if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:1-7 ESV ) One of the challenges I face when it comes to maturing as a disciple of Jesus is working through passages familiar to my head (knowledge) but unengaged in my heart (life change). The

Detail of third window of the south wall with stained glass depicting Isaiah 40:11 He gathers the lambs in his arms. Created by Watson & Co, Youghal, in 1906. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms.” Isaiah 40:11 Our good Shepherd has in his flock a variety of experiences, some are strong in the Lord , and others are weak in faith, but he is impartial in his care for all his sheep, and the weakest lamb is as dear to him as the most advanced of the flock. Lambs are wont to lag behind, prone to wander, and apt to grow weary, but from all the danger of these infirmities the Shepherd protects them with his arm of power. He finds new-born souls, like young lambs, ready to perish—he nourishes them till life becomes vigorous; he finds weak minds ready to faint and die—he consoles them and renews their strength. All the little ones he gathers, for it is not the will of our heavenly Father that one of them should peris

English: Young Christ as the good shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of theLORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” ( Numbers 27:15-17 ) The Lord answered Moses’ request in these verses by designating Joshua to lead the children of Israel . Joshua would be their new “pastor” (or “shepherd”), guiding and protecting them in all their ways. In reality, of course, the Lord Himself was their shepherd ( Psalm 23:1 ) while Moses and Joshua had been undershepherds. The name Joshua, of course, is the same as Jesus, and Joshua, as undershepherd, is a beautiful type of the Lord Jesus Christ , “that greatshepherd of the sheep” ( Hebrews 13:20 ). Jesus said: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and

Good Shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 1 Peter 2:25 “For you were straying like sheep , but have now returned to the  Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (v. 25). A flock of sheep in the field is notorious for its tendency to wander about. When the flock has no shepherd, individual sheep can end up far away from their flock and in great danger. In his prophecy of the Suffering Servant , Isaiah tells us that we are like sheep that have gone astray (53:6). Like sheep, we are prone to wandering about aimlessly. We sin and lose our way, finding ourselves in all kinds of danger. As with sheep, we are in need of a shepherd to guard us and to keep us in the fold. Of course, as today’s passage tells us, Jesus is this Shepherd (1 Peter 2:25). Our Savior is the one who protects us and guides us. He is the one who restores us when we succumb to sin and find ourselves far from His presence. Peter also says Jesus is the “overseer,” or “bishop” ( KJV ) of our souls. This is not surpri

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 1 Peter 2:25 “For you were straying like sheep , but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” ( v. 25 ). A flock of sheep in the field is notorious for its tendency to wander about. When the flock has no shepherd, individual sheep can end up far away from their flock and in great danger. In his prophecy of the Suffering Servant , Isaiah tells us that we are like sheep that have gone astray (53:6). Like sheep, we are prone to wandering about aimlessly. We sin and lose our way, finding ourselves in all kinds of danger. As with sheep, we are in need of a shepherd to guard us and to keep us in the fold. Jesus is this Shepherd ( 1 Peter 2:25 ). Our Savior is the one who protects us and guides us. He is the one who restores us when we succumb to sin and find ourselves far from His presence. Peter also says Jesus is the “overseer,” or “bishop” (kjv) of our souls. This is not surp

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Perhaps you have heard (or maybe said) before, “Scripture never says that I need to be committed to only one local church .” The “attend everywhere, but committed nowhere” is a common trend among Christians when it comes to local-church commitment. But it is also one that is damaging to all parties. Church-shopping is OK to a point, but the point of shopping is to eventually end the process. Too often though, shopping becomes the norm. And not all who believe in multiple-church-attending are to blame. It’s a prominent trend all over that is sometimes even encouraged by church leadership. So, why shouldn’t we be committed to more than one local church? In some sense, for the same reason we should not be committed to more than one spouse. Because there is great design, purpose, and benefits associated with exclusive commitment. I am not saying that adultery and non-commitment to one local church are equal moral violations, nor that church-hoppin

Image via Wikipedia When Jesus sends us to bear witness to Him in the world, He does not send us out as dominant and strong but as weak and seemingly defenseless in ourselves. The only reason I say “seemingly” defenseless is that it is possible that, since “all authority” belongs to Jesus ( Matt. 28:18 ), He might intervene and shut the mouths of the wolves, like he did the mouths of the lions that surrounded Daniel. But that does not appear to be His intention. He goes on to say that the “wolves” will deliver the “ sheep ” to courts, f log them, drag them before governors, have parents and children put to death, hate them, persecute them from town to town, malign them, and kill them ( Matt. 10:17–31 ). So it is clear that when Jesus says He is sending us as sheep in the midst of wolves, He means that we will be treated th Image via Wikipedia e way wolves treat sheep. But even though sheep are proverbially stupid — which, on the face of it, is what it looks like when they walk towar